


We Are The Happy Landfill

by Asymmetrical_Snowflake



Series: Gorillaz/PPG - The Fifth Gorilla AU [1]
Category: Gorillaz, Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, F/F, F/M, Gender Dysphoria, Homelessness, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Marijuana, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Teen Angst, Trans Character, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:41:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 34,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24671776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asymmetrical_Snowflake/pseuds/Asymmetrical_Snowflake
Summary: 500 hits! ♤ Thank you, my heart is so full! ♡Chapters named after song titles (not always Gorillaz ones).Ace Copular is a homeless boy of age seventeen. Like most teenagers, he is difficult and stubborn, but he doesn't let anybody pity him for his situation.After a sudden run-in with 2D and Murdoc of the Gorillaz, his favorite band, he is swept up into overnight stardom when brought in as a collaborator for their 2014 tour. Along with it, friendships are formed. For the first time, Ace feels like he has a family.When Ace inevitably needs to face the demons of his past, what will he find when he returns to the city of Townsville - the broken remnants of what was left behind, or something he had never seen before?Completed Chapters: 9Chapter 6 is Ace's first concert with the Gorillaz.Return to Townsville: Chapter 8
Relationships: Ace Copular & Blossom Utonium & Bubbles Utonium & Buttercup Utonium, Ace Copular & Buttercup Utonium, Ace Copular & Gangreen Gang, Ace Copular & Murdoc Niccals, Ace Copular & Snake, Ace Copular & Stuart "2D" Pot, Murdoc Niccals/Stuart "2D" Pot, Sara Bellum/Professor Utonium
Series: Gorillaz/PPG - The Fifth Gorilla AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783873
Kudos: 35





	1. Rhinestone Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo this was unplanned, but this is my second Gorillaz fic. I'm still working hard at my other series, but needed to take a mental detour to work on something less... intricate, I suppose?
> 
> And also, I sort of used Ace as a reflection of my current emotional state and experiences. My life has taken a sudden turn and I have had a lot to process, and I used this idea in my head as an outlet. This is definitely a personal project of mine, but I do already have several chapters written. I know my writing style is sort of simple, so please forgive me for that. XD
> 
> I don't know what sort of update schedule I plan on just yet, but we'll get there when we get there. :3
> 
> Also this is part of a series cuz I plan on posting a few one-shots related to this story, and may split it into two multi-chapter stories. The one-shots will be sides that aren't a part of the major storyline, and possibly flashbacks to Ace's past.
> 
> That being said, I hope that you enjoy the first chapter! ♡

* * *

It wasn't easy being on the streets, but Ace was used to it. He hadn't felt wanted anywhere, so it was no skin off of his, admittedly rather long, green nose. Living in a landfill was no picnic either, but it was better than the uncovered alleyways or the gutter on a rainy night.

Ace was one of the lucky ones in a way. He had a natural musical talent, and even though his bass had been garbage to someone else, it was his only constant in the madness of life.

Friday nights were big for bars and clubs, and so long as Ace didn't sneak any alcohol he could make good money… in theory. For the last six weeks, the owner hadn't been to the club he frequented due to a family emergency. So he had no idea that the shithead manager working there was skimming money from the young performers and threatening to call the cops and have them banned. Nobody had been banned yet, but the first time it happened Ace walked home that night with a split lip and only ten dollars in his pocket. That wasn't enough to buy a hot meal and a new pack of bass strings for Bassey - a ridiculous name for the instrument, but he couldn't think of anything else - so he choked down a few dollar menu items and put the rest in his savings account. Which was an old tin coffee can with money hidden in a false bottom, perhaps one of the only brilliant things Ace was able to do.

On a decent night, Ace could walk away with about fifty bucks just from tips alone. That was a lot of money to a seventeen year-old who didn't even have an address. Who needed new clothes when the old ones fell apart from his shoulders. Who didn't even have shoes that weren't falling apart at the moment.

It was April now, and Ace was determined to be able to buy new clothes that weekend. Panhandling was a little dangerous, he didn't want to run from the cops again.

Friday the fourth, the waitress who decorated the chalkboard had drawn up an amazing sign that featured Ace.

  
  


**_Tonight Only!_ **

**_A Tribute to the Gorillaz!_ **

**_Featuring Ace and his Bass_ **

**_$5 Cover Charge_ **

  
  


It was probably the closest Ace would ever get to seeing his name in lights, but he was excited. Even the arrogant manager couldn't deter him; for a few hours a week, Ace could be a rockstar.

His set probably could have flowed better, but it was in an order that he had been practicing for weeks. With a drum machine and keyboard with the recordings he needed, all he had to do was press a certain button on each machine before he could take the stage with his bass. Ace and his bass were the only thing on stage that anybody looked at.

Starting off with "Tomorrow Comes Today", then "Rock The House", soon fading into a solo version of "Clint Eastwood", "Kids With Guns", "O Green World", "Feel Good Inc.", and then "Every Planet We Reach Is Dead". The final three songs were "On Melancholy Hill", "Rhinestone Eyes", and perhaps one of Ace's favorites for getting the audience rocking along with him: "We Are Happy Landfill".

The cheers sounded deafening to the humble teen, who wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm and grabbed the mic. **_"You've been a great audience! Thank you!"_** That charming smile paired with a wink from those pink and black eyes caused quite a few more high-pitched cheers, after which Ace held up his hands giving the devil horns. **_"Goodnight!"_**

After a quick trip to the bathroom to wash his face and relieve himself, Ace packed up his bass in its hardcover case and shouldered his bag before taking his usual spot at the end of the bar. The artistic waitress, Tracy, soon approached him with heavy shoulders and sad eyes. Blinking, Ace pushed his sunglasses up atop of his head. "What's wrong?"

She sighed, handing him an envelope. "He emptied the tip jar into his briefcase… this is all you're getting."

Ace's eyes narrowed and he took the envelope from the twenty-three year old woman, opening it up. A handful of coins, two crumpled fives, and the dingiest looking ones he had ever seen.

Just like that, Ace saw only red. He rose to his feet, not looking up as Tracy asked him something - he didn't even hear it. **_"That fucking son of a bitch cheated me again!"_ **

He didn't even notice as he shook with anger that all eyes were on him once more. Long legs in faded black jeans carried him across the crowded room, forcefully slamming open the door to the management office. The force of doorknob left an indentation after it bounced off the wall.

**_"Seventeen dollars? Seventeen fucking dollars?! You fucking leech! Rick promised me two-fifty plus tips when he booked me for tonight!"_ **

The envelope clattered against the polished wood floor and fell apart as the coins escaped from the white confines.

**_"You stole my money for the last time!"_ **

But before Ace's fist could hit the man's face, his left arm was grabbed and twisted. The teen shouted and fell to his knees; his stomach cramped from hunger pains, he had only eaten a granola bar that afternoon. Fuck, he was too weak to fight again. He was then suddenly dragged from the office like a ragdoll, his shins smacked against the bar stools along the way. A head of blue hair looked up, only seen as a brief blur from the corner of his eyes.

**_"L-let me go, you're hurting me!"_ **

The damp pavement met the boy as he was thrown out of the door, his forehead whacking against the curb. Just as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, the sound of his bag hit the ground behind him, followed by the loud clatter of his bass in its case. Rubbing his head with one hand, Ace looked over his shoulder with a scowl only to find that the door was slammed shut before his eyes.

A shaky breath fell from trembling green lips, before yellowing sharp teeth clenched to keep from crying. Ace then scrambled to the hardcover case and snapped it open, letting out a relieved sigh when he saw the bass wasn't damaged by the throw. But his heart sank when he saw his E-string had broken from the force. He only had fifty bucks saved up, he had been counting on the money that Rick had promised to him. Tracy had let it slip that Ace was technically homeless, and would pay the teen generously for his performances. But Rick wasn't here, and Ace didn't know how to get in touch with him.

Timid footsteps were heard from behind as the door opened again. Ace growled slightly and tried his damndest to scowl and look very much not like the kicked puppy he very much was. "Keep your tip money, Trace. I don't need your pity."

No reply was heard, but as Ace pushed himself up onto his knees, a tall and lanky figure knelt down beside him. "You okay, kid?"

A pissed off growl resonated loudly from Ace's throat this time, just a few tears daring to poke out visibly from the corners of his eyes. **_"I don't need any fucking help, old man--"_ ** When the head of shoulder-length, sweaty black locks whipped around with the most threatening expression he could give at this low moment, a too familiar face met his now astonished eyes.

Scrambling backward from shock before a pale hand could touch his shoulder, sunglasses fell down from the top of Ace's sweaty head and landed halfway down on his sweaty nose, pink and black eyes cringing shut when his bony green ass hit the wet road just over the curb.

Deep, black orbs stared into those oddly colored eyes, blank to the naked eye but filled with concern. Especially when he saw a large bruise forming on the right side of the teen's forehead. "You alright? That was a nasty tumble just now."

"Y… you're… you're the…" was the boy's attempt at a response, limbs shaking just a little from shock. Those black eyes… that mess of blue locks… those big pale hands with long skinny fingers… this couldn't really be 2D himself, could it?! It had to be some enthusiastic cosplaying Gorillaz fan or something! "Y-y-y…" A single green hand lifted up and pointed shakily at the Brit. **_"You're you!"_ ** exclaimed the shocked teen.

The corners of the singer's mouth upturned with the sweetest grin, complemented by a soft pink blush, and a ridge of gum with two missing front teeth glistened in the streetlight and light from the club behind them. "Yeah? An' you're you, kid." Hearing that gorgeous voice with his own ears, not from a walkman or old CD player that skipped every few seconds. It was followed by a beautiful chuckle that rang like church bells in Ace's head, his green cheeks flushed an adorable light pink. That magnificently skilled pale hand was soon outstretched before the teenager, his eyes focused only on those fingers. "Stuart 2D Pot, in the flesh. And you?" Those fingers flexed, beckoning the boy to accept his wordless offer to help him to his feet.

A slightly scraped palm met the older male's, equally large and long green fingers grasping his firmly before the blue-haired beauty pulled him up. Unsteady for a moment until he gained his footing on old, black boots with black duct tape keeping the soles together. "Erm… A-Ace. Ace Copular." the kid responded, brushing off his white vest despite the mud having seeped in a bit. Definitely needed a wash the next time he could go to a laundromat.

All Ace had on beneath the vest was a white tank top, so as to keep the black Ace of Spades tattoo exposed on his left upper arm. Goosebumps were already seen forming on his arms, since he had left his only good jacket inside with Tracy before starting his set.

2D took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to the boy. Without a second thought, Ace took one and after he put it up to his lips he was surprised to find the singer had already taken out his lighter and lit it for him. Ace held it carefully and took a long drag from it before exhaling. Pot would be nice right now, given his body aches, but he would have to wait until he returned to the place he called home to smoke the half a joint he had left waiting for him in that old tin coffee can.

Both men merely smoked in silence, stubbing out the butts beneath their shoes before throwing them into a trashcan. However, a sudden rush of noise caught Ace's attention from inside of the club. Rowdy cheers resonated all around, just before 2D grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him out of the way as the door swung open and the manager was thrown roughly onto the sidewalk.

A black-haired figure walked out, wearing black jeans and a dark gray long-sleeved shirt. Distinctive brown leather boots stood beside the man before stomping one down onto his backside. "Go on, you shithead. Say it."

Murdoc Fucking Niccals had just beaten the shit out of the scumbag manager.

"Fine! I'm sorry!"

Murdoc tutted and his foot sharply collided with the asshole's ribcage, causing him to wheeze.

**_"Like you mean it, you fucking prick!"_ **

"I'm sorry kid!" His tone was full of fear, but it was good enough for the Satanist.

"Good." Murdoc shoved him down again. "Rick will be hearing about this tonight, so run while you still can. Stealing from a bunch of kids who wanna make music… get out of my sight before I change my mind. Fucking druggie trash."

Like a coward, the man rose to his feet and disappeared down the street in seconds.

The door opened up once more, loud cheers being heard as Tracy stepped out while holding Ace's jean jacket, a skull and crossbones seen drawn onto the back with faded permanent marker. "You alright, Ace?"

Despite the throbbing aches in his body, he nodded from just behind 2D. "I'm fine, Trace. Thanks." He took his jacket from her outstretched hand. "I should just take off… I don't wanna stick around after all that noise."

"You sure?" Ace nodded and she sighed, but she nodded in return before she reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a much fuller white envelope and all but shoved it into Ace's reluctant hands. "That's all your tips and the payment Rick promised." Plus an extra collection of tips from the pissed off customers who learned that the manager had been stealing from the kids, especially a solo artist as talented as Ace. But Tracy didn't let him know, she knew that would make the prideful teen reject the entire amount. "We'll see you next week, okay?" Ace nodded mutely, and she gave him a friendly smile before bidding him a good evening and going back inside.

Ace let out a heavy sigh, draping his jacket around his shoulders before he knelt down to slip the money securely into his messenger bag and zipped it closed. When he stood back up, he slipped it over his head and around his shoulders, and when he bent back down to pick up his bass case, which now sported a noticeable dent on the outside, his ears picked up on the sound of a gruff voice clearing its throat.

Suddenly turning around again, Ace landed his eyes on Murdoc once more. The elder man with green skin chuckled, his upside down cross pendant shimmering against his chest. Those eyes shifted between the two British men before him, noticing how 2D covered his mouth with one hand and giggled a little. "Be nice, Mudsy. I think the poor kid's a little starstruck."

"Don't sweat it kid." Murdoc spoke again, this time not as pissed off as he was with the manager. He sounded nonchalant, was this even real? "Murdoc Niccals, kid. And you're Ace. Rick's an old friend of mine from back in the day." The Satanist would be 48 that summer, and the phrase made him sound like an old man. "He's told me about you, and he was right. You went beyond my expectations. That was an amazing set you just put on, kid."

Ace's mouth was agape and his eyes were wide with wonder and amazement - and what was that? The bassist that inspired Ace to pick it up himself had liked his performance? Of music that his band had written and had been performed by the man himself?

Suddenly, his stomach howled so loudly and painfully, which caused Ace's face to blush a deep red and he hung his head in embarrassment. He then gasped as his quite chilly form was wrapped in one of 2D's long arms; the older man was so much warmer and Ace practically melted against him from the sudden warmth. The blue-haired singer chuckled even more warmly and welcoming, gently patting his arm with that large hand in a comforting manner. "Come on, then. Let's treat the kid who Rick sang his praises for. You certainly impressed us, Acey Boy."

That ever-friendly face, belonging to none other than Stuart 2D Pot, made Ace smile so dopily while also blushing such a deep red that his green cheeks looked as if they were glowing. And 2D wasn't laughing or lying. Amazingly, this day had turned quickly shitty, but then immediately it took a turn that Ace had never dreamed of.

"That's right." Murdoc nodded, his voice oddly soft. "You're gettin' a nice hot meal and some good company for a while. Hope you're up for talking shop, kid."

Ace practically felt like he was floating as 2D guided him down the street, to none other than the Geep itself! This dream was somehow a reality.

* * *

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far, thank you again for reading! Any thoughts or comments you have would be greatly appreciated. ♡


	2. Fallen Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murdoc and 2D make an offer that they won't let Ace refuse: joining the band for the remainder of their US tour.
> 
> Is the teenager too prideful to take the chance he's been given? Or will the two musicians be able to convince him to take a chance on himself for once?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from "Fallen Angel" by Poison.
> 
> Thank you for the lovely kudos I've received so far! I still don't know what sort of update schedule I'll end up setting, but I just felt like updating so I figured that I would. :3

* * *

If Ace was anything like a typical teenager, it showed when he was eating. After being guided to the Geep by 2D and Murdoc, the Satanist drove them to a very cozy diner that Ace frequented when he had enough money to go there for lunch or dinner.

They were seated in a booth towards the back so they wouldn't be bothered, and luckily it wasn't a very busy evening. First thing Murdoc ordered was a round of hot drinks, since Ace was shaking like a leaf from the cold open air of the Geep. Along with a few appetizers for the table; hot wings, mini burgers, chili nachos, and curly fries. The elders let Ace eat more of his favorites, which wound up being the hot wings, and 2D split the curly fries with him.

"Jeez kid, don't tell me this is the first meal you've eaten all day?" Murdoc admonished with a blink of his mismatched eyes.

2D suddenly pouted at that thought. "If you say that you've eaten a power bar today, I'll have to smack you."

The look on Ace's face said it all; cheeks dusted a light pink once more, black hair framing his face a bit with sheepishness. "A… a granola bar, actually…"

2D sighed, leaning toward the boy and gently swatted him on the arm. "A growing boy like you needs to eat more than one meal a day, Ace."

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Ace waved his hand in response, keeping his voice and eyes low. "Just had a busy day." He noticed _the look_ on Murdoc's face from the corner of his eyes, suddenly huffing and turning his head away. "Who told you, was it Rick or Tracy?"

2D blinked, looking from Ace across from him, and towards Murdoc who sat beside him. The elder man looked down into his coffee cup, taking a drink. "Haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, kid."

"Don't patronize me." Ace muttered, sending the eldest man before him a glare. "I don't need your pity."

"Murdoc, what is he talking about?" 2D asked with a quirked brow.

"It's Ace's business. Not my place to tell." Murdoc replied with a sigh. "But Rick let it slip by accident."

Ace sighed through his nose and rolled his eyes, leaning back in the booth with his arms crossed. "By accident… _sure_ he did."

"This ain't about Rick, an' it ain't about your situation neither." Murdoc said firmly. "This has nothing to do with that. You are incredibly talented. I think you're even good enough to join the band."

Ace suddenly sat up completely straight, gripping the edges of the table tightly. "What?"

"I agree with Murdoc." 2D nodded. "Before Rick even knew you were into our music, you impressed him by playing Beethoven's Moonlight on the keyboard. That was why he started hiring you. He even trusted you to figure out your own sound and set lists. And he liked what he heard and he saw very much. You flocked people in. We think that you have the right sound to sit in with us during the rest of our US tour."

"I repeat: what?" Ace responded.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Acey Boy. It isn't often that I allow another bassist to take my spot." Murdoc spoke teasingly with a smirk, cackling deeply at the way that the boy blushed and squirmed just from the elder's expression.

Just then, they were interrupted by the waitress coming back with their order. She gathered up their empty appetizer plates and asked if they needed anything else.

"Two sweet teas for us," Murdoc said, pointing his thumb at him and 2D. "And whatever else the kid wants."

Ace had practically started drooling at the sight of his cheeseburger, but was holding back on digging in until after the waitress left. With a blush, he asked, "Could I have a chocolate milkshake?…"

"Bloody hell that's a great idea. Cancel the sweet teas, we'll all have the same." 2D said with an excitedly childish face. "With whipped cream and a cherry on top?"

"Now _you're_ the genius, 'D!" Ace snickered out with a smirk on his own face.

The waitress went to go make their milkshakes, after which Ace finally picked up his burger and took a large, savory bite. Just as he melted against 2D's warmer body while outside of the club earlier, Ace visibly relaxed and let out a contented hum. The burger from this diner was the best comfort food to the teen, and it would warm him up from the inside out. He would sleep like a baby after any day he was able to eat this burger, and he desperately needed that tonight.

"If all it takes is a warm meal to make you happy, I think you'll be fine with us on tour." Murdoc said with a chuckle.

"Better than you in the old days needin' a bottle o' rum every few hours like a drunk baby." 2D commented with a snicker.

Ace put the burger back down on his plate, taking a breath after he finished chewing. "I don't get it though. Why me? And why so suddenly? I ain't all that great."

Suddenly it was 2D's turn to smirk. Reaching into his pocket, pulling out a smartphone in a protective case. Ace never had a cellphone of any kind before, so he was confused when 2D tapped an elegant finger on an app. A video was pulled up, showing the dark figures of the audience at the club. The bright lights of the stage were seen as Ace was front and center.

2D tapped the play button, showing the screen to Ace.

Green eyelids further widened and exposed the pinkish whites of Ace's eyes; did he really look that beautiful and focused on stage? Suddenly his breath caught itself in his throat when the sound of his own voice met his ears during the first rapping part of "Clint Eastwood".

  
  


**_"You think it's fictional?_ **   
**_Mystical? Maybe._ **   
**_Spiritual_ **   
**_Hero who appears in you to clear your view when you're too crazy_ **   
**_Lifeless;_ **   
**_To those the definition for what life is_ **   
**_Priceless;_ **   
**_To you because I put you on the hype shit_ **   
**_You like it?_ **   
**_Gun smokin' righteous with one toke_ **   
**_You're psychic among those_ **   
**_Possess you with one go"_ **

  
  


The way Ace transitioned from the rapping section to the main vocals was clean, yet the tone of voice was different between the two singing styles. When the forty year-old waitress returned with their milkshakes on a tray for them, even she stood silently off to the side. Ace's voice rang out in a hauntingly beautiful manner… that couldn't really be his voice, could it?

"I had no idea you were such a talented young man!" the waitress beamed, but Ace didn't seem to hear her at the moment.

Murdoc noticed, but he responded for the group. Holding out a folded-up twenty towards her as an advanced tip, turning on the charm as he read her name off of her nametag. "Thank you, Doris. I'll flag you down in a bit. And leave the whipped cream, darling."

The woman blushed up to her ears but she smiled, practically swooning. Murdoc still made ladies and gentlemen weak at the knees, it was clear as Doris walked back up to the front of the diner, clutching her order notebook to her chest.

In the video of himself, Ace watched as he moved his body to the music he played; he looked so fluid and natural, and did he really move his hips like that?

**_"The essence, the bassist_ **   
**_Without, did you make it?_ **   
**_Allow me to make this_ **   
**_Child-like in nature"_ **

  
  


And then 2D caused Ace to snap out of his trance when he paused the video.

"That's just a slice of what you did tonight, Acey Boy. I sent your entire performance to Damon and Jamie."

Ace's eyes somehow widened even more. "D… did you say Damon and Jamie?…" 2D nodded, the boy gripping at the table even harder and tighter. " _The_ Damon and Jamie?"

"No, your Aunt Tilly's old tea buddies Damon and Jamie." Murdoc rolled his eyes with a hearty chuckle before smirking across the table at Ace again. "Who do you _think?_ "

"They liked what they saw." 2D continued. "And so did Murdoc and me." He grinned that friendly smile that made Ace blush again. "We want you on tour with us."

The teen hung his head and sighed softly. "You can't be serious… what even makes you think that I'm any good from one performance? From just one set list of your stuff?"

"Because Rick vouched for you. Rick has never been wrong about anybody." Murdoc replied. "And I have never heard someone play my bass lines the way you just did. You've got it, kid. Being a collaborator with the Gorillaz will open up doors for you."

"This is the big time, Ace. You've got what it takes." 2D smiled so warmly and welcoming… the boy felt as if his chest was aflutter.

But before Ace could even think to speak, his stomach growled once again which only made him blush even more. 2D however giggled again and sent him another warm smile.

"We can talk more once we get back to the hotel room later." Murdoc said with a wave of his hand. "Unless you got somewhere else to be tonight?"

Ace's eyes focused on his cheeseburger again, picking it up with his slightly greasy fingers. "Nowhere I'd be missed." Murdoc may have known he was homeless, but 2D remained oblivious. Ace was thankful for that. He admired the singer too much to be pitied by him in such a way.

Murdoc smiled, and the sight of it caused the teenager to swoon a little again. Why did the Satanist seem so different when he was actually smiling instead of smirking? "That's a good boy." the elder bassist commented before picking up the can of whipped cream, shaking it in his hand and then spraying large dollops of whipped cream atop of their milkshakes for each of them.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Ace hadn't expected the hotel to be so much different from a motel, so he was rather stunned and silent when the two bandmates even stopped by the front desk to have a key card made just for him. The teen was equally silent as they then led the way to the elevator, and went up to the top floor where there were two executive suites; the **_Do Not Disturb_ ** sign hung on the door belonging to Noodle and Russel, and when they approached the other door, Murdoc spun around their own sign before 2D swiped his key card and opened the door for them.

Both of the older men gestured for Ace to go in first, so the boy did so. Gripping the handle of his bass case in his hands, he carried himself through the doorway and looked around in amazement. It looked more like an apartment than a hotel room - _suite_ , Ace corrected himself in his head. As Ace noticed the elders taking off their shoes near the door he followed suit, kicking off his black heeled ankle boots, which looked about the same size as 2D's faded blue converse. 2D always looked so much bigger and taller than him on camera, it was astonishing to find out his idol was about the same height as the skinny teenager.

"Make yourself at home, Acey." 2D smiled and ruffled the boy's hair a bit, which only made him blush and squirm again. "Put yer bag an' case on the couch for now."

The boy nodded, crossing to the couch and slipped off his bag, setting it down against the arm before he leaned his bass case against it. Afterwards he slipped his hands into his pockets and blinked, pulling them back out and groaning when he found two hidden twenty dollar bills. Tracy again… why was Ace such a charity case to so many people?

For now, he slipped them into his bag before standing up straight again and looking around the room; behind him, an open door led to the spacious bedroom with an attached bathroom, a minibar and such lined the wall between two windows, and on the wall across from the couch was a flatscreen TV. When he wriggled his toes, he felt just how soft the carpet was beneath his feet… everything looked so luxurious.

"How's a shower sound?" Murdoc offered, grasping the boy's wrist before leading the way to the bedroom, with 2D following along behind. "Gotta clean up from working up a sweat like that, especially after a gig."

An actual shower that wasn't at the YMCA or the beach or something; Ace's body shivered subconsciously, which pulled at 2D's heartstrings a bit. He didn't want to pry so he didn't comment on it, but he could tell that this entire dream-like situation was continuing to find the boy out of his natural element, whatever that may be.

As Murdoc guided the boy into the bedroom, 2D went to his suitcase and began pulling out some clothes that would fit Ace for the night. Murdoc was a few inches shorter and a bit thicker but still lean, so his clothes would look abnormally small on him. But Ace was lucky that he was about the same height and size as 2D, just a bit skinnier. Ace's eyes landed on the huge, plush-looking bed and suppressed a gasp.

Gulping down the knot in his throat as Murdoc let go of his wrist, Ace fidgeted on his feet for a moment. "Um… so, where do I sleep?"

Murdoc opened the bathroom door, flicking on the light switch before looking over his shoulder. "The bed. Where else?"

Ace suddenly blushed up to his hairline; even the tips of his ears felt hot. "B-but there's only one bed?…"

"There's enough room for ten or more people on this monstrosity." Murdoc cackled. "Unless you're a cover hog, that is."

"The sofa's pretty comfortable if you wanna sleep there." 2D said with a chuckle.

"U-um, that's okay, I guess it's no big deal…"

Ace was then lurched forward as Murdoc pulled him closer to the bathroom. "Just put your clothes in the basket by the sink, I'll have them sent down to be cleaned tonight." As Murdoc pointed to the large tub, Ace's eyes scanned around the room, noticing how white the floor and fixtures were, with a dark blue wall. "Wash up and have a nice soak for a while, alright? After a tumble like you had you'll feel that in the morning, so a hot bath oughta help with the aches."

2D suddenly slipped in from behind them, setting a few pairs of pajama pants and T-shirts on the counter by the sink. Letting Ace be able to choose what he wanted to wear for the night. "Wash up and warm up, okay kiddo?" Ace smiled just a little and nodded, to which 2D smiled softly in return and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "We'll be waiting then."

After the two adults left, Ace turned his head and fully looked around the spacious bathroom once more. The faint scent of water met his nose, and he took in a deep breath before slowly exhaling it.

This was the cleanest bathroom he had ever seen. No rancid old piss smell, no dirty floor, no single light bulb barely lighting it up. Ace even peeked inside the toilet; clean, no stains or spots or anything.

Before he knew it, Ace had peeled himself out of his gig outfit and carefully deposited the dirty articles of clothing into the small basket as Murdoc had instructed. He then stepped into the tub and pulled the curtain shut around himself. Turning the knobs, he waited for the water to warm up before switching it to the shower.

With the hot streams of water cascading over his body, Ace exhaled loudly and a comfortable smile curled itself onto his face. He stood under the spray of water for several minutes before running his long fingers through his hair, detangling it a little bit before he reached for the little unopened bottle of hotel shampoo. When it slipped from his fingers Ace yelped and bent over to pick it up. Hearing his sound echoing in the room, he blinked and slowly stood back up. Experimenting now, Ace softly hummed a vocal warm-up scale, hearing the echo repeat the sounds once more.

By the time the teen was rinsing the conditioner from his hair, he was singing "Rhinestone Eyes" with all of his might. His throat was usually sore after a performance like the one he did tonight, but he felt different. Something inside of himself felt refreshed, and he didn't even know what it was. After lathering up his body, he rinsed off and then looked down at himself.

A few old scars were seen; one on the side of his left hip, one just above his belly button, and a larger one concealed at the nape of his neck beneath his hair. His fingers gently ran over his left upper arm, feeling another scar left behind by a cigarette burn beneath the inked skin. Ace let his eyes slip closed and his head fell back, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck with a loud sigh.

With the water so clean and warm, Ace was reluctant to get out so he did as Murdoc instructed. After he shut off the showerhead, he let the tub begin to fill itself and added in a bit of bubble bath. Ace wrapped his hair up in a towel before he sat down and shut off the water, leaning his head back against the rim with another relaxed sigh. His long arms draped along the sides of the tub, stretching out his legs and wriggling his toes beneath the bubbles. A crack was heard from his achy spine, and just like that Ace let his mind go blank.

It wasn't until twenty minutes later that he was snapped out of his relaxed trance, his head picking up again at the sound of a soft knock on the bathroom door.

**_"Ace? You alright in there?"_ ** 2D's voice called through the door. **_"You been pretty quiet for a while."_ **

Ace suddenly realized that his singing was definitely heard by the two musicians when he was in the shower, but after a moment he sat up in the tub. "Y-yeah, I'm fine! Just kinda tired I guess…" was the teenager's sheepish reply.

**_"Ah, alright then."_ ** It sounded like 2D was smiling again, his voice just as friendly as when he offered his hand to help the boy up earlier that evening. **_"We'll see you in a few then. Want anything to drink?"_ **

Ace rose to his feet in the tub, reaching to let the water drain before he grabbed another towel and started to dry off. "Got any grape juice?" Usually he ordered soda at the club, but he loved grape juice more than any other cold drink.

A sweet laugh hit his ears through the barrier, making Ace blush a little before the singer replied. **_"Sure thing! I'll crack open a cold one for ya!"_ **

Once Ace was dry he picked through the clothes the singer laid out for him, a little unsure about borrowing a pair of boxers but they looked brand new so he slipped on the black pair. After that he picked up the simple gray pajama pants, and a black shirt with a white skull on it. The shirt was a little baggy and the drawstring of the pants needed to be tied so that they wouldn't keep falling off his hips, but once they were secured he felt comfortable enough to get out of the bathroom.

He started brushing his hair with his fingers, slowly opening the door and peered out. Murdoc was seen on the left side of the bed nearby the window, polishing his distinctive flying-V bass with a cloth.

"Is that El Diablo?…" he uttered, and before he knew it he was standing on the opposite side of the bed when Murdoc looked up from his spot where he had been focused. " _The_ El Diablo?…"

When mismatched eyes met the teen's, Murdoc chuckled deeply from the childlike wonder that filled them. "The one and only." he practically purred in pride. After he nodded towards Ace, the boy carefully climbed onto the bed and sat within a few feet of the elder bassist. Taking even himself by surprise, Murdoc extended the bass in his hands toward Ace. "Wanna give it a go?"

"I-I couldn't… I don't wanna mess it up…" Ace looked down, blushing shyly.

"It ain't that delicate, kid. I ran it over once and it still plays." Murdoc cackled, warm and welcoming. "Come on, give it a taste of what you got."

Ace's fingers brushed against Murdoc's as he carefully accepted the offered bass, holding the neck with his left and the body with his right. Once he readjusted his sitting position he cradled the bass in his lap, slowly running his fingers eagerly up the new set of strings that Murdoc had just put on it and tuned. Strumming the strings once, able to hear by ear that it was tuned perfectly.

A muscle memory responded to the deep sound of the notes; without even realizing it, Ace's eyes slipped closed and then his fingers began to pluck out the notes to "Feel Good Inc." It was the first Gorillaz song that Ace had ever heard, and just like that he had been hooked. Music suddenly became him.

After perhaps a minute or two of Ace's heart racing as his mind went blank once more that night, he finally stopped and let out the deep breath he had unknowingly held in.

"Holy shit, Ace."

2D's voice caught them both off guard, and they soon realized that the singer was standing in the doorway with tears in his eyes. His upper lip quivered and exposed that row of gum with missing teeth, but he was smiling.

"That was so raw. It's like when you play, you use all of your soul to express the music from within."

Ace blinked and suddenly felt two narrow streaks make their way down his cheeks, not having noticed that they had even formed. When had they even developed?

_"That's…"_ the boy suddenly uttered, feeling his sharp teeth clattering together nervously; just how visibly was he even trembling? _"That's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me…"_ Suddenly, there were more tears in his eyes, and the bass fell from his hands to the plush bed covers. Murdoc quickly grabbed it to lean against the wall, placing it out of the way for now. As the boy hung his head down and covered his face with his hands, the Satanist slowly reached out and placed his hand on the Ace's back. Soft, gentle rubs were made through the cozy T-shirt and the calloused hand could feel the muscles beneath twitch just a little before the touch was adjusted to, and suddenly felt a bit soothing.

The bed dipped beside him, and those long, warm arms pulled Ace against a surprisingly strong, equally warm and inviting chest. One hand gently wove through and pet his damp locks, tucking the top of his head beneath a strong chin. _"There, there… it's okay, you're okay…"_ the singer cooed softly. Gently humming to Ace as the onslaught of an anxiety or panic attack hit the young man so suddenly. The boy's arms slowly lowered and fell down against his lap, now limp.

Ace felt like such a fool, meeting his heroes and suddenly breaking down like a little kid during a thunderstorm. He just wanted to curl up and hide himself away…

"Ace, are you listening to me?"

He gasped in surprise at the address, sniffling softly and gave a small nod. Ace had never heard that sentence or others like that in a voice that didn't drip with anger or condescension; such as his parents and former teachers, especially. But 2D sounded so gentle and caring compared to them.

"Good. I don't want you to forget this." Those arms gave him a safe, reassuring squeeze. "You are an amazing, strong, talented young man. I don't know what you may have been through, but you are safe so long as you are right here. I promise you, no matter how long it takes for you to trust me, I will never let you down." Surprising even himself, 2D leaned down and planted a gentle kiss onto Ace's forehead. "I give you my word as a friend."

Eyes half-lidded and vision blurred by tears, Ace slowly blinked a few times before they cleared up. When he pulled away enough to look up at the elder, he blinked again as that hand gently cupped his cheek. The warmth of 2D's eyes caused Ace to bite his lip slightly; how could the man be so kind when they didn't even know each other?

_"But why would you even care about me?…"_ Ace uttered, not seeing how Murdoc bit his lip after hearing the young man's question. _"I'm just some kid who can't even write my own music. There's nothing remotely special about me…"_

2D was all too confident with his answer, and it caught Ace off guard. "That's where you're wrong, Acey Boy." How could one man smile so much, but still be able to reflect his current emotions every time? "That club was packed tonight because all of those people were there to hear you sing an' play, including Murdoc and me. Your abilities had me in some sorta trance… and it was indescribable. I think that you are capable of much, much more than you even realize."

A grunt from Murdoc caught Ace's attention, turning his head toward the older bassist just in time to see his lips curl into a grin with a firm nod of his head. "That's right. And we ain't gonna let you quit without giving it a shot. Once you get up on stage with us tomorrow night, there's no turning back."

_"You want me to play with you…_ **_tomorrow?!_** _"_ Ace exclaimed. **_"B-b-b-but that's so soon! A-and what if Russel or Noodle hate me or the audience hates me?!"_ **

"Not gonna happen, kid." Murdoc snorted.

"I already talked to Russ and Noods when you was in da' shower, mate." 2D went on. "They can't wait to meet ya for rehearsal tomorrow. I showed them the video I took and they loved it!"

Ace rolled his head backwards and stared up at the ceiling, lifting one of his hands up and tangling it into his somewhat messy damp hair. "I must have hit my head way harder than I thought… I better wake up from this coma now." Only to jolt suddenly with a shout when Murdoc pinched him on the arm, turning and glaring at the elder with the threatening aura of an angry puppy. **_"What the fuck did you do that for?!"_ **

Murdoc burst out laughing, even as 2D smacked him on the arm. "You ain't dreamin', kid. This is real, just as clear as the nose on your face."

Ace deadpanned for a moment and locked his odd eyes with Murdoc's mismatched ones. _"Like yours is any prettier?…"_

The two elder men both broke out into genuine stitches of laughter, causing Ace to slowly smile a bit now. A little more confident all of a sudden, giving a few small giggles.

"Okay, I'll admit I walked right into that one." Murdoc spoke through chuckles before giving him a pat on the back of his shoulder. "Good one, Ace."

The younger giggled a little more again, but picked his head up timidly with a small grin of his own. "Thanks."

It would be a difficult road ahead, but suddenly the two men were certain that they would be able to earn the trust of the abandoned teenager. To help him see just how big he was going to make it. Every single step would be worth it to be able to see him flourish and succeed.

  
  


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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! ♡


	3. Tomorrow Comes Today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace enjoys a bit of friendly bonding with 2D and Murdoc, along with edibles and a good night's sleep. With the promise of meeting the rest of the band the next day, the young man's world is about to grow even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felt like updating again, cuz I just really like this chapter. ^^ And it shows how much of a teenager's attitude that Ace has. XD
> 
> Enjoy! ♡

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The rest of the night went by so naturally that if anyone listening in were to guess, the elders had known Ace for years. Something about this serendipitous friendship felt so warm and welcoming, and neither man had an unwelcoming aura. In fact, Ace had always heard that they treated their fans as friends, and actually took interest when engaged in conversations. It was a dream come true to know just how friendly and inviting these guys were, and Ace was excited to meet the rest of the band as a result.

After they had all entered a comfortable moment, 2D noticed just how messy Ace's hair looked and frowned slightly. "Jeez, did'ja even brush at all?"

The way Ace averted his gaze for a moment, before shaking his head no did not shock the blue-haired man.

_"Kids…"_ he sighed. "Man, let me get this untangled for ya." To which Ace protested because he didn't have his own brush, but 2D simply cleaned and rinsed his own so he could use that. He obviously didn't mind, in fact he was insisting upon it.

When 2D returned to the bed he moved his index finger in a circular "turn around" motion, to which the teenager sighed and rolled his eyes with a groan of, _"Fiiiine."_ Complying, Ace moved so he was sitting towards the middle of the bed and criss-crossed his legs with his back turned to the singer.

As 2D situated himself behind the young bassist, Murdoc rose to his feet, disappearing into the other room for a minute.

"Are you always this difficult?" 2D asked with an amused chuckle as he moved Ace's head into a straighter position before carefully beginning to brush his hair.

Ace grumbled the way that teenagers did, sighing through his nose as well. "I dunno…"

"That's a yes, then." Murdoc chuckled as he returned with two unopened beers in his arm, and in his hand a purple can of grape juice with a green straw sticking out of it. A green hand extended out in front of Ace with the cold can of juice. "Here you go, kiddo." The look on Ace's face was all the thanks that Murdoc could ask for, reminded a bit of himself with 2D when they were getting to know each other. The singer's patience had worn him down, but also helped Murdoc quite a bit. Ace was young and still hurting from being pushed around in many ways. That was obvious to Murdoc, he had been an abused kid too.

**_"Ow!"_ ** Ace's head jerked back when 2D tugged a little too hard on one particular knot. The boy downright pouted as a result. "Easy with the yanking!"

"Sorry 'bout dat." 2D let out a slight laugh, before continuing to work on that knot much gentler now. "Y'know, yer hair's actually pretty soft."

"Till it gets caked in grease…" Ace mumbled before taking a sip of his juice through the straw.

"Next time you oughta use the stuff that I do," Murdoc commented as he pulled over the chair from the desk against the wall. Cracking open his beer, setting down 2D's on the nightstand, the black-haired man then sat and put his legs up on the foot of the bed. Turning on the TV with the remote, flipping to a random movie channel. "My glorious mane gets the same way."

2D chuckled slightly. "You and Muds seem pretty alike to me. Kinda like kindred spirits."

Ace blushed a little more, feeling the tips of his ears burning in embarrassment. Murdoc snorted when he noticed that. "Aw 'D, you're making the kid blush! How cute is that?"

"Well I mean it!" 2D responded with a natural laugh. "In a good way, of course."

"Is that a polite way of saying that I'm not a complete horse's arse, then?" Murdoc chuckled and actually smiled warmly instead of smirking.

"Maybe so." was the singer's reply, with an equally warm smile in return.

Murdoc hummed and took a long drink from his beer can, noticing the way Ace kept his eyes down on his can of juice. The kid was downright adorable when he blushed, and the elder bassist wanted to see more of it. "It's true, by the way." Murdoc chuckled at the way Ace looked to him for an answer in confusion. "The tabloids aren't just a coincidence."

2D arched his brow at the Satanist. "What'chu talkin' 'bout, Mu'doc?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Ace was wondering if you and I shag, or if it was just fan speculation." Ace choked down some unknown sound in his throat and bit his bottom lip, which only made Murdoc chuckle even more. "So it's news to you, then?"

2D rolled his eyes and gave Ace a pat on his arm. "Don't mind Murdoc. He's always been like this. B'sides, I find the more he plays around like that, the more he cares for ya. Guess he's just warmin' up to ya that fast."

Murdoc snickered slightly again before throwing down the remote on the bed with a sigh. "All of Lucifer's demons in Hell couldn't find a decent thing to watch on _one single_ channel!" Like a switch had flipped and suddenly the man was focused elsewhere.

The other two both let out a few soft giggles, and soon after 2D finished untangling Ace's now mostly dry hair. Once it looked neat and presentable, he set the brush down beside himself and gently ran his fingers through it a few times to fluff it up a bit. "There, now isn't that better?" Ace nodded after a moment, to which 2D smiled again. "Good." The singer then stood, putting the brush away. Next he grabbed the basket with Ace's clothes and brought it to the other room, having already ordered for the laundry to be picked up and washed overnight.

"Catch." Murdoc tossed the cold beer can to his singer when he returned, who caught it and thanked him. "So Ace, since you're gonna be performing with us tomorrow, here's the rundown. Rehearsal starts at 1, we'll leave here by noon, so outta bed by 10:30 so you can have a decent breakfast." Just as Ace was trying to reply, Murdoc held up his index finger and cut him off. "And if you say that you don't eat breakfast, 'D will smack you again." To which Ace exhaled through his nose and nodded, taking another sip of his juice. "That's a good boy."

Ace hummed and rubbed his left arm with his right hand, a nervous habit of his. As 2D took a seat beside Ace again, he noticed the bruise on the boy's forehead again. "How's your head?"

"Could be worse." Ace replied, running his fingers over the bruise again. "At least it ain't a concussion."

"You smoke, kid?" Murdoc asked, his foot tapping in the air a bit. "I've got some edibles."

"Muds! He's only seventeen!" 2D scolded.

"Helps me sleep, actually." Ace admitted, grinning a bit from the chuckle Murdoc gave him. "Can't afford to smoke much, though."

"Sex and drugs and rock and roll go together like peanut butter and jelly on bread." Murdoc cackled, shaking his head in amusement. He rose, setting down his beer and then walked to his suitcase. Taking out a small tupperware with a few cookies in it before getting back up.

"You are a horrible influence on kids, Mudsy." 2D sighed and shook his head.

Ace shrugged. "Life's too short to worry about such things."

"That's right!" Murdoc patted the boy on the shoulder again, holding out half a cookie to him. "This'll knock you out for sure."

2D gave up the fight, accepting half a cookie from the bassist as well. "Down the rabbit hole now…" he said before biting into it.

"Don't be such a prude, Stu. We've had some _pretty wild_ nights after getting baked or drunk." Murdoc smirked. "Besides, pot does way less shit to you than coke or heroin." Noticing the solemn look on Ace's face, he rose a serious brow in his direction. "Kid, I hope to all mighty Lucifer that you aren't on anything like that."

"Fuck no!" Ace blinked when he realized how loudly he'd spoken, before looking back down in his lap. "Why waste the time or money on something like that, anyways…"

Murdoc merely gave a hum and a few small nods of his head. "That shit'll mess ya up real bad… stick to hangovers and smoking if you wanna be a rockstar." The man suddenly smiled playfully, humming softly again when he noticed how brightly Ace blushed.

The teen bit his lip softly when he felt 2D's hand on his shoulder, turning his head toward him. "You're a good kid, Ace. That's why we wanna help ya." Ace didn't respond, merely looking back down and finished his cookie after a moment. "Been a long day, huh?" His voice was so soft and caring… Ace still couldn't believe that this was actually happening. A nod was the only response given, but the singer accepted it and placed a hand on his back. Rubbing soothing circles around the area, just as Murdoc had done earlier. "I bet if you had aboutta million guesses to how tonight would play out, you still wouldn't believe this was really happening."

Ace sighed and closed his eyes. "I don't know why this is even happening… I'm not special…"

"Say something like that again and next time _I'll_ have to smack you in the head." Murdoc stared right into Ace's bewildered pink and black orbs when they looked into his own. The red iris of Murdoc's left eye glistened like blood pooling in the moonlight, and something about it beckoned to the boy. It was just one eye, why was it so enchanting? "Ya hear me, kid?" The question sounded like a growl and it frightened the boy a bit, though he gave a shaky nod. "Good. Because I am going to tell you something that nobody else will ever hear from me. Ready?" Another obedient nod rewarded Ace with as friendly of a smile that the Satanist could muster. "You are good enough to be me." Ace blinked again with his eyes widened, face clearly stunned. "Not that you sound _exactly_ as I do," Murdoc continued with a small laugh. "But say I suddenly broke a bone or my appendix finally decided to burst on me… _you_ are the bassist I would call to replace me during the interim. Don't you dare sell yourself short in front of me ever again, capisce?"

Murdoc's words vaguely sounded threatening, but the understanding nod he received was all that the eldest man in the room needed. From the look on Ace's face, he could tell that the words were sinking into him now.

"He's right, Ace." 2D smiled at him now. "If Murdoc couldn't be up on stage with us, you'd be the perfect fit. You'll see it for yourself tomorrow night, I promise."

"That's right. Just you wait, Acey Boy." Murdoc's expression made the teen feel weak in the knees. Good thing he was already sitting down. "You are going to accomplish very big things."

Even though Ace nodded, the elders could tell that his mind was starting to focus elsewhere. A rather comfortable high was seeping through his limbs, which was clear as soon as they both noticed the glazed look in those naturally pink eyes. Luckily his juice can was empty, but 2D took it from him just in case and set it down on the nightstand.

"How you feelin'?" 2D hummed softly, continuing to rub the boy's back for the time being.

_"I think it's kinda bright in here…"_ was the reply, followed by Ace unconsciously leaning toward the blue-haired man before laying his head against that firm shoulder.

An arm wrapped around him, giving his hair a few gentle strokes. "Let's shut the lights, then."

Murdoc gave a nod, standing and going to the light switch by the door and flicked it off.

_"That's better…"_ Ace hummed, his eyes staying only half-open.

"How's that for helping you sleep? Hehehe…" Murdoc chuckled deep and warm, a rather nice sound that lulled Ace in such a way that it caused a relaxed sigh to fall past his lips.

2D reached to pull down the covers, before carefully helping the boy lay himself down. Ace practically purred and sunk into the luxuriously soft mattress that cradled him perfectly, cheek nuzzling against a cool pillow. The moment the singer gently stroked his back once more, he knew Ace was down for the count.

"Get a good night's rest, alright Ace?" 2D spoke gently and smiled. "It's been a big day, and tomorrow will be even bigger."

_"Tomorrow… tomorrow comes… today…"_ the sleepy teen muttered.

_"Sssh… hush now…"_ Stuart whispered. _"Good night, Ace."_

  
  


* * *

Morning light didn't dare seep into the hotel room, thanks to the curtains that were drawn before Murdoc retired the night before. Usually the sunlight was what caused Ace to start waking up, but he had never been so comfortable before in his life. Time meant nothing and the teen was practically dead to the world.

Murdoc was heard brewing coffee in the other room before there was a knock on the door, where Russel boisterously greeted him and Noodle squealed while bouncing on the balls of her feet. _"Sssssh, quiet!"_ Noticing Ace's clothes hanging on the other side of the door he grabbed them, then ushered the rest of the band inside before shutting the door. "Why are you here?"

"We just wanted to see if the kid was awake yet, but once again I have underestimated just how much sleep teenagers need." Russel said with a chuckle, side-eyeing Noodle and remembering how much she was like that before she hit her twenties.

Noodle rolled her eyes slightly but giggled. "I guess we're just fashionably early because we wanted to meet him."

The eldest nodded and glanced at his watch; 9:45. At this point, 2D would be difficult to get out of bed as well. Definitely cutting it close to make it to rehearsal on time. "I better try to get them both up soon. Coffee's ready if you want a cup before we head down to breakfast." Murdoc then crossed back to the bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Two sleeping figures still laid beneath the sheets; electric shocks of blue plastered against the off-white pillows, with a head of raven sticking out just as messily. As Murdoc drew open the curtains, 2D's eyelids twitched and his face scrunched up. _"Nnnh… five more minutes…"_ came the sleepy mumble as the singer half-buried his head in a pillow, feeling the warmth of Ace's head cuddled up to his chest.

"Come on, Bluebird. Time to get up and sing~" Murdoc spoke with a playful lilt to his voice, before suddenly pulling off the covers from their bodies.

Stuart groaned tiredly and rubbed at his eyes, rolling his shoulders before indicating the body pressed so closely to his. Blinking his black eyes a few times, he then laid his gaze upon the green-skinned boy still tangled up in a sheet. At some point the night before, Ace had gravitated towards the warm and inviting body of Stuart, clinging to his form tightly before he was relaxed by his presence. Those long, skinny arms enveloped the singer still, just much looser now. With the way Ace was nuzzling into his chest, it was difficult to move, especially since it was so sweet and adorable.

"Aw… Mudsy, isn't that sweet?" he said with a smile. Stretching his arm and then moving to run his fingers through the unruly bedhead that stuck out in every direction from Ace's head. "I don't mind letting him sleep in a little more."

"We've got forty-five minutes to get to breakfast in the dining room, and Russ already reserved a private booth for us. At this rate a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant wouldn't wake him!" Murdoc climbed onto the bed from the other side, managing to yank the teenager off of the singer. Ace fell back onto the mattress, a slight snore coming from his throat before his arms wrapped around a pillow and cuddled into it. "Don't just sit there, Dents!" the bassist growled.

With a still-sleepy groan 2D slowly sat up, running a hand through his hair before he yawned. "Well what am I supposed to do?…"

Grunting, Murdoc stared down at the teenager. He was dead to the world… poor kid.

But this wasn't the time for pity. It wasn't very creative, but he grasped onto Ace's shoulders and started shaking them. "Hey! Hey kid, come on! Get up!"

_"But I don't want any spaghetti…"_

2D giggled into his hand and squeaked when Murdoc sent him a glare. Ace did roll over onto his back, his arms stretched out at his sides. Suddenly an idea sparked in Murdoc's head and he smirked. Grabbing at the boy's sides, even the sleepy groan was enough to confirm the bassist's idea.

Those skilled green fingers soon mercilessly wiggled up and down the boy's sides, and the result was clear. Limbs were fidgeting and his face scrunched up, grunts and whines beginning to emanate from his throat.

At least now they knew that the boy was ticklish.

**_"Come on kid, wake up wake up waaaaaake uuuuuuppp!!"_ **

Suddenly the squirming body jolted, Murdoc pulling his hands out of the way just in time as the boy sat up. But as soon as those glassy eyes slipped halfway open, it was clear that the battle against consciousness was not yet over.

Especially when Ace's eyes fell closed once more and he slumped forward.

**_"For the love of sweet Satan, wake the fuck up!!"_ **

Ace cringed from Murdoc's shout, his arms moving up and hands rubbing at his eyes when the Satanist's tickling made him sit upright again. _"Okay okay, fine, I'm getting up…"_ A long, full yawn exposed shiny, pointed teeth that looked a bit yellowed. _"Jesus Snake, you don't have to be so bitchy all the damn time…"_

"Snake?" 2D questioned with a furrowed brow.

At that decidedly not familiar voice of an old friend that he had been dreaming of, his shoulders stiffened and eyes blinked a few times to clear up his sleepy vision. Noticing the very soft and clean sheets, the events of the day before came flooding back to his muddled mind. Almost too clearly, and suddenly Ace was afraid to look up and let it be revealed to be just another wild, outlandish dream that ended with the memory of spooning with someone he had once known.

After a moment filled with way too much silence, Ace finally spoke but didn't dare to move. Lest that cause the world to fall away and find himself waking up on that old, lumpy mattress in the shack he called "home" at the dump.

_"Where the fuck am I?…"_

"Dolly Parton's new summer home, where do you think?" Murdoc replied with a snort

From the way Ace suddenly looked up at him, the elder could tell that a wave of relief washed over his system. The boy then turned his head when he heard 2D say his name, a small blush forming across his cheeks. _"Uhhh…"_ The sound came past Ace's lips without meaning to, still staring at 2D with wide, still slightly sleepy eyes and his mouth hanging open. And even still the singer didn't waver. Did he always smile this much?

"Mornin', Acey Boy." That large pale hand landed on his head, playfully messing up his already messy bedhead. "You slept like a rock, even I'm impressed that Muds didn't wake ya with all of his old man grunting and groaning this morning."

**_"Oh you are fucking asking for it, Stu-Pot!"_ **

And then suddenly Stuart was squealing as Murdoc tackled him down to the bed, straddling him while running his fingers up and down his lover's sides and danced them across his sensitive stomach. Long legs flailed behind the Satanist as Stuart struggled beneath him through fits of laughter.

**_"Alriiiii - hee hee hee, come on Muds stop iiiiiiiiit!"_ ** Those angelic giggles accentuated by the words between them.

"Go on and say it then!~"

**_"Murdoc isssssss - hahahahaaaa heeeeee! Murdoc is God!"_ **

And just like that, the fingers that plucked at bass strings and massaged away the younger's aches moved up to gently caress milky white cheeks. Green thumbs smoothed down over a pale face as pink lips curled upwards. The head of blue hair reached up and was met halfway by the gruffer man, their lips brushing together for a few seconds. "Mornin', Stu."

"Mornin', Muds. Yer breath reeks." was the singer's response before pinching his nose closed and playfully pushing the elder off of him.

"Like your morning breath is any better, Dents?"

**_"Quit fuckin' around in there in front of the kid! Hurry up and get ready! We're hungry!"_ **

Russel's booming voice frightened Ace and he practically jumped off the bed, landing on his back. As 2D worriedly got up to lend him a hand, he soon saw as the boy struggled to untangle himself from the sheet that fell with him.

"Relax, kid. It's just Russel **_and he gets cranky when he's hungry!_** " Murdoc turned to shout over his shoulder towards the bedroom door halfway through the sentence. "Jeez, you seem more jumpy than a virgin at a prison rodeo."

"Did you just quote The Golden Girls?" Stuart asked as he tried to help the struggling Ace out of the bedsheet. "Hold still a second…" His hand gently grasped Ace's shoulder as the sleepy and confused teen finally sat still again.

"Only if you want a third dent in yer noggin." Murdoc joked before walking around the mess Ace had caused on the floor. "You always this squirrelly when you wake up, kid?"

_"Uhhh… s-sorry about that…"_ Ace muttered, hanging his head low as Stuart managed to free him from the fabric prison. "Not really used to waking up around people, I guess."

"It's alright, Ace. I know this is going to be an adjustment for you." Stuart smiled brightly toward him, placing his hand on Ace's shoulder again. "Did you sleep well?" Ace answered with a slow nod, returning his smile for a few seconds. "That's good."

The sound of the toilet flushing met their ears, followed by the zip of a fly and running water at the sink. **_"Now that everybody's up, let's head down to breakfast!"_ ** Murdoc shouted through the open bathroom door.

"Muds! _Please_ close the door next time you take a leak!" 2D called over his shoulder as he stood up and offered his hand out to Ace.

"What? We're all men here! Plus Noodle, but she don't ever room with us anymore." Murdoc replied as he exited the bathroom and pulled out a clean shirt from his suitcase.

"Murdoc, Ace is our new friend and our guest. Please don't make him uncomfortable." 2D knew the moment he locked eyes with his lover that he would listen, and his answer was confirmed when the bassist sighed through his crooked nose and nodded. "Thank you." Stuart smiled in his direction, before pulling Ace back up onto his feet. "Ah, that bruise has definitely cleared a great deal. Hopefully a little makeup will cover up the rest before the concert tonight."

"C-concert, right…" Ace nodded, running a hand through his hair and blinked at just how clean it still felt after his first real shower in _much longer_ than he wanted to admit.

Murdoc slipped on his shirt and pulled his pendant out from underneath. "Ten minutes before we go eat without you two, so get moving. Oh, and I'll go grab your clothes now that they're clean, kid."

Ace merely nodded in response before Murdoc stepped out. Stuart told him to use the bathroom first while he rifled through his mess of a suitcase to find the shirt and pants he was looking for.

When Ace stepped back out of the bathroom, Stuart was already dressed and Murdoc threw the boy's now clean jeans at him and cackled as they landed over his head. "We'll meet you two at the elevator in five. And brush your damn hair, you look like a troll doll." Ace suddenly snorted and covered his mouth after he pulled his pants off of his head, smiling a little when he uncovered his mouth. "There's that pretty boy smile." The teenager blushed from the praise, but Murdoc returned his warm smile. "Hope you're hungry, Acey Boy." the Satanist said before he stepped out of the bedroom again and closed the door behind him.

Ace's simple white tank top and white vest hung on the hook on the bedroom door, still in the plastic cover from the hotel laundry. After Stuart had returned from the bathroom, Ace had already changed from the pajama pants into his fading black jeans. He was now trying to figure out how to tear the bag open to change shirts, but he yelped slightly in surprise when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. It was merely 2D, offering him a pair of socks, which he accepted and sat on the edge of the bed to put on.

"By the way, you can just wear that for now. No use putting on something white till later tonight, eh?" 2D offered with a slight laugh. "Besides that shirt looks really good on you, so you can just keep it."

Ace looked up at the singer just after he rose to his feet again and asked, "Are you sure? I mean it's yours after all…"

"Of course I'm sure, silly." Stuart didn't even notice how Ace's face brightened up with another flush of pink when he took his hand. Leading the way out of the room, only letting go when Ace pulled slightly to grab his bag and blinked when he noticed his bass case was gone. "Oh, Murdoc took your bass with him. Said he'll get it fixed up for tonight."

Ace was a little confused but he nodded, pulling on his jean jacket and shouldered his bag before following 2D to the door and slipped on his boots.

"Is that duct tape holding them together?"

Ace suddenly blushed again, lowering his head as he put on the right one and stood back up straight again. "Maybe… but shoes are expensive and they're comfortable…"

Stuart hummed in thought, but nodded once and finished sliding into his converse. "Well come on then, time for a spot of breakfast."

Ace smiled slightly, placing his sunglasses atop of his head and nodded, following the singer out the door and letting it fall closed behind him.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want a laugh, this is the inspiration for Ace being difficult to wake up (be warned that it is a bit loud through headphones): https://youtu.be/G4q_AhrGuTA
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! ♡


	4. Witchcraft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band gets to know Ace during breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just felt like updating again. My chapter progress is in the story summary, and I have a good chunk of chapter 7 finally written after a long bout of writer's block on both of my current Gorillaz fics. XD But I'm back on the horse and making progress again!
> 
> Thank you for the kudos I have received since my last update, every single one means the world to me!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the chapter. ♡

  
  


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The singer held onto one of Ace's hands as they raced down the hallway, towards the elevator where the rest of the band was waiting for them. His left arm soon rose up into the air as he waved to them and called out a greeting of good morning. When he stopped before them he realized how closely Ace was to him, letting him continue holding his hand as the boy stuck close to his side.

"So guys, we would like for you to officially meet Ace." 2D said with a bright grin.

2D's hand in his gave him an encouraging squeeze, and soon Ace picked his head up and gave a small wave with his right hand. "H-hey, it's an honor to meet you both."

He felt a sudden wave of confidence when Russel's expression brightened and the drummer gave him a genuine smile. "Nice to finally meet you, man! We been lookin' forward to it ever since we arrived in state." A large hand extended out before him. "Russel Hobbs."

Ace felt his shoulders square with a bit of pride, and he reached out to shake hands with the bald man. "Ace Copular."

His hand was grasped by Noodle next, returning her firm and friendly handshake as well. "Sakura, but as you know most people call me Noodle." She smiled sweetly. "But call me anything like Noodle Poodle and you may end up with a broken nose."

"How many times do I have to apologize for that?" Murdoc rolled his eyes as he leaned his elbow on the top of Ace's bass case.

"It was my graduation party, so infinity." the young woman replied while sticking her tongue out at the Satanist. "And if Murdy ever tries to mess with you, just dish it right back at him." she said with a giggle and a smile, triggering another smile to sneak its way back onto Ace's face.

Murdoc had already told them that the teenager was a little difficult with showing trust, but had excluded the fact that he was homeless. It wasn't information that Ace gave out freely, and the eldest wasn't about to break the trust he was showing in him by blabbing about it.

"Oh, uh… Stua--er… 2D, uh…" Ace tripped over his words, scratching his head nervously.

Stuart only reassured him further, showing his sense of patience for the boy. "Don't worry about it, just call me whatever you're comfortable with."

Ace nodded meekly, but continued. "Er… w-well, Stu… Stewie said that he already showed you my performance from last night?…"

The elevator finally dinged and arrived empty at their floor, so the conversation continued as they stepped into it.

"I have never heard someone play our songs with so much passion and soul before. Honestly I'm blown away." Noodle's tone of voice oozed a pure energy, making Ace's chest clench.

"The rapping you did in Clint Eastwood was so hauntingly beautiful, man. I felt that," Russel tapped his large fingers against his chest. " _Right here_. It was like I couldn't breathe, hell I didn't even notice that I was air-drumming like I wanted to play with you till Noods pointed it out."

Ace's head lowered, staring at his right hand when he held it over his own heart. _"I… I did something like that?… But how?"_

"Like I already told you, kid," Murdoc drummed his fingers on the metal of the bass case. "You've got it."

Despite his embarrassment, it was clear that Ace was starting to let his walls down a bit more. He was only seventeen, and they knew that there would be bumps ahead. Patience was a virtue, and thanks to Stuart's easy-going nature he had been a big part of letting Ace know that they weren't lying to him. It was a big help to know that they wouldn't suddenly abandon him either.

Somehow between their stepping out of the elevator and making it to their reserved booth, Ace's hand naturally fell away from Stuart's. He did wind up sandwiched between Murdoc and Stuart with Russel and Noodle on the other side of the booth, but their conversation went uninterrupted until the waitress came along.

"Good morning everybody! Can I get you anything to drink while you look over the menu?" she asked; a peppy young lady with fiery red hair tied up in a bun, and spare pencil sticking out of it.

"A round of coffee would be lovely," Murdoc paused to read her name tag. "Lizzy." His smile caused her to blush, but she nodded and jotted it down quickly.

"Hands up for iced instead of hot?" she asked with her smile showing off pearly white teeth, making two tally marks when Noodle and Ace both raised a hand up. "Sounds good! Anything else I can get for you?"

"Some fruit cups to start us off would be great as well."

"Sure thing, I'll be right back." Lizzy turned around and off she went.

A beat of silence passed before someone finally talked again, and taking them all by surprise it wound up being Ace.

"How the fuck do you do that?"

"Well you know how sound comes out of that hole under your nose? It's called _talking_." Murdoc cackled at his own joke and sipped his water, to which Ace stared at him in reply for a moment.

"I mean like saying shit like that all the time. It's like everyone thinks you're perfect or something?"

The frankness of the question squirted a bit of water from Murdoc's nose and suddenly Ace scrambled away from him but bumped into Stuart and was stopped, scared for a moment that he had suddenly pissed off the elder due to how thoughtlessly he had worded himself. He was a teenager, he didn't always think about what he said before he could say it. His shoulders visibly fell with relief when instead Murdoc started cracking up, smacking one of his hands on the table for a moment before picking up his napkin.

"Fucking hell, you aren't much of a people person, are you kid?" Murdoc shook his head after wiping his nose, giving Ace a playful punch on the arm. "Just comes naturally to some. But if it doesn't, just don't think about it too much and you'll be fine."

Noodle rolled her eyes and rested her chin in her twined fingers. "Or so he claims." she added with a soft giggle. "Anyways… since we have some time, why don't you tell us about yourself?"

A moment of silence passed again before Ace blinked and realized they were all looking at him. "Me?"

"Yeah you, man." Russel nodded. "All we know is your name… unless Ace is just a stage name and your real name is Tony Bennett or something."

"What the fuck kind of name is Tony Bennett?" The band all broke out into simultaneous laughter for a moment, which left Ace with more questions than answers. "What's so funny?"

"Tony Bennett is a famous singer, that's all." 2D told him. "You're pretty young so it makes sense that you may not have heard who he is." Ace merely nodded and shrugged before picking up his water glass and taking a drink. "But just so we know, _is_ Ace a stage name?"

The boy shook his head before he even answered. "Nope."

"Okay, good to know." Noodle said. "Besides, I think it fits you perfectly."

"So, where you come from, Ace?" Russel asked.

Ace's finger slid around on the rim of his glass as his eyes focused on the action. "The city of Townsville, originally."

"Really? Townsville is pretty far from here." 2D said.

"Yeah, well… I left there ages ago."

Murdoc nodded slightly. "Any siblings?"

"Nope. Just me myself and me."

Lizzy returned just then and set down their drinks and fruit cups. "I have a few orders to get out, so I'll be back shortly!" She gave them a smile before she went off again.

As they all worked on adding in sugar and cream to their liking, Murdoc blew into his mug and took a drink of it black. Then noticed all the sugar Ace had poured into his before stirring it up. "Man, you really are a kid." he snorted in amusement. "Milkshakes and ice coffee with a thousand sugars, it's a miracle you even get to sleep at night."

"I just like it sweet…" Ace muttered before taking a drink through his straw. "Caffeine doesn't have much of an effect on me anyways."

"You will live to regret those words some day."

Ace rolled his eyes and picked up a fork, starting to eat a bit of the fruit. "What the hell are these hard green wedges supposed to be???"

"Honeydew melon slices. What the hell kind of fruit do you usually eat?" Murdoc snorted.

"Normal stuff that doesn't gotta be cut up first."

"No wonder you're skinnier than Stu, you thrive on caffeine and sugar rushes. You need to eat more than once a day." Murdoc slid a menu over to the boy. "Don't just order pancakes, get something with protein."

"Big mistake, you didn't rule out Belgian waffles."

"You can get them, but you're also having eggs. Get a good energy kick instead of fueling up on empty calories." Murdoc ruffled his hair a bit again. "Besides, you may be seventeen but you're still a growing boy."

Ace's voice suddenly dropped down low, with only Murdoc and Stuart able to hear him as he mumbled into the menu. _"You're not my fucking dad."_

Russel and Noodle were distracted by their own menus, with the drummer wondering if it was too early to order a burger and put a fried egg on top of it. His favorite brunch-like meal. So neither of them noticed as Murdoc's face visibly softened, returning the teenager's sharp-tongued comment in a voice that sounded soothed and caring, not angry or gruff.

_"I'm not trying to be, I promise."_

Ace's teeth released his bottom lip from between them, not having realized that he had been doing that.

"So Ace, I hope this isn't too personal, but who was the person you thought was waking you up earlier?" Stuart's voice snapped Ace out of his swirling thoughts of teenage angst and trust issues, but instead of answering he merely grabbed a few grapes from his fruit cup and popped them in his mouth. "Someone you know?"

A deep breath exhaled through his nose and Ace kept his head down. "Just… an old friend that I knew back in Townsville before I left. Probably my best friend, but… we drifted apart."

Just like that, Stuart's lovely voice beckoned the boy. "Why don't you tell us about it? Where you grew up, what were your friends like?"

"Well…" he muttered, trying to buy some time. His parents weren't worth mentioning. They didn't need to know that detail, at least not yet. "I never really spent a lot of time at home… I guess I was always sort of a troublemaker. My kindergarten teacher Miss Keane even wrote that I was a hellraiser in my permanent record, but I always sorta thought that was cool." The boy snickered a little, which made the others laugh as well. "I had a nice group of friends cuz we were all sorta outcasts and troublemakers. Called ourselves the Gangreen Gang." He then blushed a little, remembering a certain girl with black hair and light green eyes. "We… also hung around with a group of triplets. They were all girls, but Buttercup was the best and the toughest. Knocked out my front baby teeth when we were playing basketball one day, so she threw the game and let me win that time."

"That's adorable." Noodle grinned through a suppressed squeak.

"She was the best! I don't know what I woulda done without her or my boys…" Suddenly Ace's face visibly wilted and he looked downward again. "But… nothing lasts when you're just kids. By the time we hit middle school, it was just Snake and I hanging out together whenever we didn't wanna go home for one reason or another. Everyone else just sort of forgot about me… and, eventually so did Snake." Lifting up his hand he rested his elbow on the table, hiding his face in his palm with his eyes slid shut. "I never really got the chance to see them and say goodbye… I wound up leaving Townsville pretty suddenly when I was 13. Haven't gone back since." Another sigh left his nose and his eyes cracked open, staring down at nothing on the menu. "Haven't really trusted anyone since then, either… all I can ever see in their eyes is pity, and I just can't get past that." He could feel it again now, but even as he closed his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, he couldn't sound threatening at all. _"So just stop staring at me like that already!…"_

Russel blinked his eyes and rubbed his neck, looking off to the side now. "Sorry, man…"

_"I should just get out of here… some fuck-up like me isn't worth all this…"_

But before he could even think of standing up, Murdoc's hand landed an obvious smack on the side of his head. Obviously holding back his strength, which was appreciated even though Ace put his own hand over the spot where he'd been hit. Suddenly gritting pointed teeth and glaring up at the elder, trying to look scarier than he was. Ace let out a growl from the way Murdoc merely gave him a smirk before sipping his coffee.

"What the fuck was that for?!"

"I warned you last night, kid. Keep putting yourself down and I'll smack you on the head." was the almost casual response given by the older bassist.

There was no rhyme or reason on how to predict just how Murdoc Niccals operated. Thus far his pattern was entirely random to Ace, and therefore was difficult to understand.

"Well who the hell says something like that and then actually **_does it?!_** "

"I'm a man of my word, Acey Boy. It does no good to beat around the bush. I will always be forward with you, so get used to it." Murdoc didn't even look him in the eye, which was unnerving. His eyes were scanning through the menu in his own hand, humming in thought. "Y'know, the only time I ever ordered huevos rancheros, I put out my cigarette in it and then did the waitress in the bathroom. The early 90's were pretty wild."

"How the fuck do you do that?"

"You already asked me that, wanna try again?" Murdoc drank from his coffee mug again.

As Ace grew visibly frustrated by the man, the pale arm that was already vaguely familiar wound around his shoulders. "Murdoc, _please be nice_. Give Ace some time to adjust before you go off on him like that. Now apologize for hitting him."

Something about the sudden firmness of Stuart's voice sent a shiver down Ace's spine. When was the last time somebody stood up for him like this? It was in such a caring way that Ace couldn't identify the feeling he felt. No parental figures had felt like this to him, this was something completely different and new. Whatever it was suddenly gave him such a full feeling of security.

Sighing roughly due in part to his previously broken-many-times nose, Murdoc nodded. His eyes leveled with Ace, gently grasping his chin and turning his head. Locking mismatched orbs with black irises. "I'm sorry for hitting you in the head like that, Ace. Especially since that wanker threw you out last night and you hit it pretty hard." He took his hand from the boy's chin and ruffled his hair again for a second. "From now on just the light smacks on the arm, how's that sound?"

Just like witchcraft, wicked witchcraft, Ace felt drawn in and entranced by the charmingly devilish spell of Murdoc Faust Niccals. It was a deep, intense feeling that warmed Ace from deep within his chest. But much like the feelings he felt from Stuart, he was unable to tell what this was. Only one thing was clear: he too felt a sense of security once again.

Like peeling an onion, it had to happen a layer at a time. Ace would have many more layers ahead, but they were both determined to keep proving themselves to the teen. Adults had clearly not always appreciated how wonderful Ace was, and they wanted him to see that within himself. To prove that they were different.

"Uh… okay, yeah…" was the half-confused sounding mutter that Ace's half a brain could currently muster to say. Why was his head so muddled?

* * *

The rest of the meal went by rather uneventfully, thanks in part to the food as well. Even though the teenager ate a breakfast that could have choked a pig, nobody said one word about it. Ace definitely had an appetite, and Murdoc could recall having a similar stage in his life as well. The boy wasn't used to being able to eat, but that would soon change. If all went well, he would also be able to gain a bit of weight. Murdoc made a mental note not to let Ace neglect his appetite, and it would make a world of difference in the boy's attitude. More food meant more energy, and less time focusing on mere survival.

Stuart was too nice to say anything on the matter, more focused on helping ease the boy as each step came along.

Once breakfast was over and Murdoc left a tip larger than the bill (he explained that story to Ace rather bluntly: he fucked _a lot_ of wait staff in his days and hated when they worked hard but still wound up getting stiffed in a non-sexual way), the bandmates headed through the restaurant and made their way towards the lobby. However, for a few minutes they lost track of Ace when suddenly Stuart began speaking only to find he wasn't with the group. So he mumbled something quickly before bolting back into the dining area.

"Oh, you found it! Thank you so much, young man!"

Ace was just as bewildered as the singer when the red-headed waitress enveloped him in a sudden hug. It was rather tight and secure, reminding the boy once more of his former teacher Miss Keane, but when she let him go the bright look on her face said it all. A rather natural smile returned her grateful one. "Don't mention it."

Stuart's eyes caught a glimpse of a diamond catching the light for a moment before Lizzy slipped a silver ring back onto her left ring finger. "I don't know what I would have done if I lost this for good. Hopefully I can get it resized soon so this doesn't keep happening." A bright giggle lit up her face and she leaned up on her tippy-toes before planting a friendly smooch on the teenager's cheek, which turned a light flush of pink. "Thank you so much. Have a lovely weekend!"

Lizzy's warmth felt contagious. She shared another smile with Ace for a brief moment before she was suddenly across the room, enthusiastically asking her patrons how their breakfast was. The softness of his eyes and the little smile remained on Ace's face as he tucked a bit of hair behind his ear before readjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder.

As soon as he turned around, Ace was greeted by Stuart's knee-weakening smile and just like that his face flushed an even brighter shade of pink. "You really are somethin' else, Ace."

Before he could even speak, that hand took his again. All Ace knew was as the man in his mid-thirties led the way, that he would gladly follow him anywhere. Especially when 2D suddenly giggled and picked up the pace, he followed suit and they raced out into the lobby together.

Russel's hand was held up high in the air, waving to them, and just like that they were off.

  
  


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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments of any kind are always appreciated! ♡


	5. Rockstar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band heads to rehearsal, where they're met with a familiar face, and Ace finally begins to see just how talented he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been making quite a bit of progress on this fic so I thought it was time to post another chapter! ^^ Thank you for the lovely kudos as usual, it always brightens my day to see them!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy the chapter. ♡

* * *

  
  


Blinking in the sunlight, Ace soon slid his sunglasses down onto his nose. Only for Murdoc to suddenly yank them off of his face and hold them into the light.

"Jeez kid, can you even see through these? The lenses look like they've been polished by pebbles."

"How many times are you gonna grab my shit without askin'?" Ace was taller than Murdoc so he could easily reach over and grab them back, which he did before putting them back over his eyes. "My eyes don't do so great in the sun or under stage lights… but they're better than nothing."

Murdoc sighed through his nose, glancing at his watch. "There's a drug store down the street. 'D, take him and find something polarized. We have five minutes before the car gets here, so try to be back in ten."

A head of electric blue hair gave a firm nod. "Gotcha." 2D's hand grabbed onto Ace's again and then they were off.

Without much of a choice against the matter, Ace was dragged down the street. The bell on the door rang out as they stepped into the shop and the teenager sighed roughly. "Does he always boss everyone around?…" he muttered as 2D scanned around for the sunglasses section.

"Well, 'e is the band leader." 2D said with a shrug. By then he had let go of Ace's hand and led the way towards the sunglasses display in the corner of the store.

"I always pegged you as the band leader, Stewie."

"Muds was who put the band together. I may be the frontman and the lead singer, but this band is his baby." 2D bounced a little on his tippy-toes, taking a look around as Ace pushed his glasses back up on the top of his head.

"I don't _get_ him…" Ace sighed, picking up a random pair before turning to head towards the register. However a hand grasped his shoulder and kept him from moving again. "What now?…"

"Ace, those aren't gonna last you. And they're not polarization," He used the wrong form of the word, but it wasn't like Ace was going to point that out. It was a weird word. Stuart took them from his hand and looked at them. "Anything less than twenty bucks usually falls apart in a week. How much did you spend on those ones?"

"Found them on a park bench three years ago. Couldn't find who they belonged to, so I kept them cuz they looked cool… and I needed new sunglasses anyway."

Stuart blinked and leveled their eyes. "Do you ever actually take care of yourself, Ace?" The teenager blushed and looked down, sighing through his nose again. "You're worth the effort, you know." His eyes then caught sight of a pair styled the same way as the ones Ace currently had. Reaching up he took them down, unfolding the arms and slipped them onto the younger's face.

Suddenly, posture straightened and eyes blinked profusely. Looking around the store in random directions. " _This_ is what polarized lenses do? Holy shit! Was light ever this mellow before?!" Ace took them off only to pale suddenly at the price tag. _"… I could buy three new sets of strings for Bassey for that much money…"_

Despite Ace visibly deflating, Stuart was unfazed. His fingers brushed against Ace's after he removed the glasses from his face, giving the boy a smile. "Don't worry about the price, alright?" The singer held them up and turned around to head to the register.

Ace felt his ears heating up a little before his feet could actually move, catching up with 2D after he had already set them down on the counter. _"Stewie, you really don't have to…"_ he whispered shyly.

"I know I don't _have to_ , but I want to." With the swipe of a credit card, one freshly printed receipt was handed over and the cashier bid them a good day. Stuart held them back out to the green-skinned boy with a sunny smile. "Consider it a gift, eh? From a new friend."

Their fingers brushed together as they were placed in Ace's palm. It was such a small, insignificant thing… but to Ace, every act of kindness that the man had shown felt so genuine. Such a thing had felt unattainable to the young man for so long… kindness without an ounce of pity. Somehow it felt different enough from how Rick and Tracy treated him, because Stuart had no idea where Ace truly came from. Nobody but him knew the story he had bottled up inside… but somehow even he couldn't believe that this chance was dangling before him.

When Ace could no longer stand the silence, which had felt like an eternity but had only been a moment, he suddenly stepped forward without thinking about it. Pulse racing in his neck as he realized that this time he initiated a hug with the Brit. A tight hold that showed Stuart how strong he was.

_"Thank you, Stewie…"_

Pretending not to notice the slightly nervous tremble that coursed through his veins, Ace softly released the breath in his throat when those pale, skinny arms returned his embrace just as strongly. The smile on his face was as clear as the one in his voice.

"You're very welcome, Acey." And then those fingers smoothed through his hair again. "After all, what are friends for?"

  
  


* * *

Since Murdoc had said car, Ace had expected for a car or some sort of van to pick them up. It wound up being a fucking limousine, because _of course_ it was.

Nobody said a word about Ace's childlike wonder as he pressed the buttons on the ceiling, watching as the lights changed colors or the music blared louder from certain speakers. When they were at a stoplight, he flicked a switch that made a noise above his head; looking up to find the moon roof had opened. Just like that 2D grabbed his hand again, and then they were standing up on the seats to pop up through the window.

The wind blew through Ace's hair as the limo ventured forward, holding onto Stuart's hand a little tighter and steadying the other hand atop of the roof. Everything looked more vibrant than usual, and clearer thanks to the new sunglasses perched on his nose.

_"Wow…"_ he breathed out.

"Take it all in, Acey. The world is at your fingertips now." Fingers wove together, a bubble forming inside of his chest. "Soon enough, it'll all be yours. Just you wait."

The way the boy blushed so sweetly didn't go unnoticed as a comfortable smile naturally snuck its way onto his face. For that moment, he didn't doubt the singer or even himself.

Ace had expected them to be brought to the stadium where the concert would be that night, but instead when they parked and he looked out of the window again he saw a studio he walked past quite often. The studio was called The Black and Red Keys, with a sign painted up like a piano's keys in red and black. He then noticed a familiar blue car a ways down the street from them; but wasn't Rick still in Florida?

"Rehearsal's here, the place is still being set up for tonight." Murdoc answered his question before it could even be asked.

The doors opened and they stepped out, legs stretching and Noodle spinning in a few circles with a giggle. As the trunk popped open, Ace remembered the older bassist had put his bag and bass case back there and was right at his side when the dented metal case was taken out.

"Relax, kid." Murdoc messed up his hair again. "We'll get it fixed up for tonight."

Ace quirked a brow, shouldering his bag. "All it needs is a set of strings."

Murdoc chuckled and shook his head, leading the way into the studio. Russel held the door open for everyone, giving Ace an encouraging pat on the back as he stepped in behind him.

**_"Murdoc Fucking Niccals!"_ **

A green, calloused hand met a tanned one, shaking hard and firm.

**_"Riccardo Rodriguez, you old son of a bitch!"_ ** Murdoc suddenly smirked. "Speaking of, your mum was always an _an-i-mal_ in the sack." Giving his distinctive cackle.

Just like that, Rick had him in a headlock and noogied the shorter, younger man. "Wanna take that back before the atomic wedgie comes along?"

"Remind me what her hourly rate is again?"

"Mudsy, come on. Play nice." 2D spoke up and suddenly the old friends broke away.

Murdoc gave the elder man a playful punch on the shoulder. "Good to see you again, Rick. How's your sister Rita doing?"

"Much better now, thankfully. It was a pretty sudden heart attack, but she's almost back to her old self again." Rick responded, his face relaxed and a small smile concealed beneath his thick, black mustache. "It was touch and go at first, but she's been out of the hospital for two weeks now. Misses the fuck out of bacon."

"If I ever couldn't eat bacon again, I'd take a rock to the head and put myself out of my misery." Murdoc snorted. "But that's great news. How'd the family like the fruit baskets and cookie bouquets?"

"They were lovely, thank you. The grandkids had a blast and Rita just lit up watching them play around." Rick chuckled. "But it's great to be home again. And I'm sorry I wasn't there to deal with the shit John was pulling. Luckily, the security footage that showed him stealing the tip money and throwing Ace out wasn't lost during the… _computer glitch_ last night."

"Ah? So the druggie's still saying that he got roughed up and thrown out? Hard to say that he's telling the truth… cocaine will really fuck any guy up." Murdoc winked in Ace's direction, eyes locked with him for a moment.

Ace smacked his hands over his mouth and suppressed his own gasp, his pupils blown down into pinpoints with shock.

"Needless to say, he's been arrested and I **_will_** be pursuing charges. Especially after Tracy and the other servers informed me he was stealing their unattended tips from tables and the bar. Apparently, multiple customers heard him say he would give it to the proper staff… but the rest of my staff has said that did not end up happening. He'll never see a day outside of prison soon enough. That man was a **_big time_ ** drug dealer and no one was the wiser until my phone busted and nobody could reach me. The moment he had the chance to steal, he took it."

A drug dealer. A fucking drug dealer with an apartment _full of cocaine_ had stolen from the young performers like Ace who depended on the money from Rick in one way or another. It especially made Murdoc's blood boil to have heard from Tracy that she had overheard John threatening to call social services on the homeless boy if he tried to call the cops. No one knew how he had found out about Ace's lack of residence, but he had successfully frightened Ace into submission. The boy stayed because he wasn't always welcome at other clubs, and many customers at Rick's place came just to see him and because it was their favorite club. It wasn't worth the hassle to try and make a name for himself elsewhere… and he had almost lost hope of Rick returning to the club to finally put an end to it all.

"Ace." The old Hispanic man placed his hands firmly on Ace's shoulders, surprising the stunned boy who hadn't even noticed that he had approached him, and now stood before him. Deep, greenish brown eyes stared into black irises that peeked out from behind the sunglasses that had slid down his nose, pinkened whites of his eyes visibly a bit redder. " _Mi compadre_ , from the bottom of my heart, I am so very, very sorry for how that man treated you while I was gone. Had I at all known… I was preoccupied with my sister's condition, looking after the house. My mind was elsewhere and my phone broke. It took weeks to get replaced. I was supposed to be back by last night, but there was a delay in my flight and I wasn't back until almost 2 in the morning."

The man who was in his seventies pulled the seventeen year-old into a firm and secure embrace, catching him rather off guard.

"You and so many of my workers were stolen from. Mark my words, I _will_ be making it right. You earned that money, and I wasn't able to be reached to rectify the situation like I should have."

Ace suddenly grinned, returning the man's hug with as tight of a squeeze that he could manage. "Just knowing how fucked over he is now? That's enough to make _me_ happy, man. I'm surprised you didn't kick his teeth in yourself."

"Well, he _claims_ that I did…" Rick pulled away, firmly placing his hands on Ace's shoulder's. "But the police know he's full of shit." Ace's eyes widened, darting over to Murdoc for a moment; the Satanist returned his gaze with a knowing smirk, cracking his knuckles. Those pinkish eyes then looked forward again, Rick's deep-colored left eye giving the boy a knowing wink.

"Well fuck. Now I know why you and Murdy are old friends." Ace blurted out bluntly.

Murdoc cackled out his distinct laugh for a moment, arms crossed over his chest. Golden, inverted cross pendant glistening in the light. "Like those frightening fucking cartoon horses say, friendship is magic, baby."

"Fucking hell, Rick. You gotta be the most badass old man I ever met!" Ace held out his hand and Rick gladly smacked their hands together before shaking them firmly.

" _Muchas gracias, pequeño bajista_." Rick grinned and ruffled Ace's hair, annoying the teenager and suddenly making him groan. "And there's that face." he chuckled out, taking his hand away from the boy's head. "It's good to see you again, Ace. I wish I could have seen your set last night."

"Don't sweat it, man." Ace replied, scratching the side of his head as another sheepish blush worked its way across his cheeks.

Murdoc tapped his hand on Ace's bass case, catching the boy's attention again. "Rick and I are gonna get your bass fixed up in time for tonight, Ace. Before his son took over the music shop, Rick repaired instruments for a living. If El Diablo ever needs mending, he's the only man other than myself that I trust to fix it."

Ace blinked in confusion again. "But… my bass works fine. All it needs is new strings."

"No offense, kid. But this dang thing looks like it was pulled out of a landfill."

Black and pink eyes stared directly into mismatched ones. "Snake pulled it from a dumpster behind the music store for me and we fixed it up together. He painted on my Ace of Spades. It's the only thing that I still have from when I left Townsville that was worth keeping all these years. So what if it looks like shit? It's my piece of shit." The seriousness of his tone brought down the mood in the lobby, occupied only by the band and old man. "I don't care what it looks like to you, I'm not changing it."

"Hey now, Acey," Stuart's hand gently met his shoulder, causing the boy's tense shoulders to fall back. "Murdoc didn't mean it like that. We understand that it has sentimental value to you. He just thought that giving it a make-over and repairing it would be an opportunity to design something new for it."

"I really, _really_ don't wanna cover up the Ace of Spades…" Ace mumbled.

"I gave this thing a look-over already, it would take _a lot_ of work to fix it up without covering it or something." Murdoc now spoke much more gently; he had touched a nerve in the teen, something he had not intended to do. "It'll still be the same bass, just different on the outside. Besides… I'm sure you have ideas on how you dreamed it could look like." The smile on his face oozed nothing but genuine apology and softness. "Unless you'd rather play it till it falls apart?" The chuckle Murdoc gave further melted the teen, he could tell from how he visibly relaxed his walls once more.

Sighing, Ace slowly ran a hand through his hair. "… If I find out you threw it out instead'a fixing it up, I have your verbal permission to junk-punch you," Returning the smirk the elder bassist sent his way. "Murdoc Fucking Niccals."

That mop of black hair nodded, giving an amused snort. "I am a man of my word, Acey Boy. I swear on Beezlebub's wings, this bass will not end up in a landfill or another dumpster. If I am lying, you may… as you so gracefully worded it, _junk-punch_ me."

"I'll hold you to that, Murdy." Ace returned the nod with a firm one of his own. It may not have been much, but even verbal agreements meant a lot to him. Ace wasn't delicate, he just needed to know that he could trust someone; Murdoc could sense that, and he did not want to break his trust.

Difficult as this process would be, it was worth the effort.

* * *

Rick soon proved that he was there for more than one reason. The man was revealed to be quite the jack of all trades, able to fix instruments, play a bit himself, and was quite the vocal instructor. While the band readied themselves in their rehearsal space, Rick hooked up his laptop to a screen on the wall. As the others set up, Ace was looking through his bag for something that he wanted to put on his bass. Admittedly, he also had an old notebook with design ideas he had drawn.

Murdoc set El Diablo down in its stand after tuning it the way he needed it, letting Ace borrow it for rehearsals this afternoon. He and Rick would be focusing on fixing up the bass for most of the day, but they had a few other things to handle first.

"Okay! I think we're all set over here." Rick set down his laptop and clicked on a video file.

Ace was clutching an old composition notebook and deck of cards against his chest, looking up and blinking as he saw a paused video of him playing at the club. "I thought you guys already saw what Stewie recorded last night?"

"These are a few of your other performances I've recorded over the last year, Ace. I think it shows a good cross-reference of what your range is like, and also how versatile." Rick responded. "All the gear I've given you over the years, and the times I challenged you to do something new, you have always blown me away with the results."

When 2D noticed Ace's still frame in the video wearing the same outfit as the night before he giggled softly and smiled fondly. "Is that what you always wear on stage? I can see why you like it."

Ace blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, yeah… it's probably the nicest top I got. Besides, it's lightweight."

"You're just a kid who wants to show off his tattoo like a rockstar." Murdoc teased, attempting to catch Ace off guard by pulling him into a headlock for a noogie.

Only for Ace to nimbly duck, popping up behind Murdoc undetected. Managing to grab him by the arm and twisting it behind his back, causing the elder to blink dumbfoundedly as Ace instead held him in a firm headlock.

"Wanna try sneaking up on me again, old man?" Ace smirked before breaking out into a cackle.

**_"Satan's asshole, that'a boy!"_ ** Murdoc suddenly laughed, unable to move a limb without experiencing pain. Ace definitely was a force to be reckoned with. "Fuck, even _I'm_ proud of you for that one!"

"What did I tell you, _mi amigo?_ An extraordinary boy in many, many ways." Rick praised him with a warm smile that was hugged by his mustache as Ace released the older bassist, groaning like a teenager again when Murdoc messed up his hair. But the smile on Ace's face showed how he really felt, and he was definitely affected by Murdoc expressing pride in the boy. "To be honest with you Ace, I see quite a bit of Murdoc's youth in you."

The 72 year-old chuckled heartily as Ace's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed to a deep hue of red. Murdoc merely snickered. "Really? How so?"

"I _have_ taught you both quite a bit, but you're both a bit stubborn," Rick locked greenish-brown eyes with Murdoc. " _Very_ stubborn, actually," He paused a moment before continuing. "Not to mention prideful. But, you are both _very_ talented." A hand then stroked the old man's chin in thought. "However… one big difference is that the caterwauling Murdoc calls his _singing_ sounds like white noise compared to Ace's angelic voice."

All at once, howls of laughter erupted from deep within everyone's gut. Ace's face turned even redder from lack of air, allowing himself to slide down against the wall while trying to hold himself up. Russel laughed so hard he accidentally knocked over his cymbals, and Noodle fell over onto the couch up against the wall.

"How do we always end up off subject?" Murdoc questioned with a raised brow. "And at least I sound pleasant compared to that fucking jagoff Justin Bieber!"

**_"Define pleasant!"_ ** Russel shouted, looking a bit red in the face himself.

**_"Does he seriously sound that bad?!"_ ** Ace grasped at his sides, dropping down onto his side and desperately tried to breathe.

**_"Moving on now!"_ ** Murdoc practically shouted to change the subject.

The others collected themselves and straightened their posture. 2D suddenly heard his phone go off, taking it out. His eyes lit up a bit and he excused himself, stepping out of the rehearsal space. For a moment, Ace wondered what it was about when he heard the vocalist greet Damon and Jamie.

"Anyways," Murdoc exhaled a bit roughly, looking back over to Rick.

The Hispanic man nodded. "Well, as I was saying… Ace has done quite a bit of thinking outside of the box. I have definitely been testing your skills as well, just to see what you're capable of. First it was just him, a karaoke machine and his bass. Then when we dug through the closet at the club he figured out how to program the drum machine, and used keyboard programs to record his own backing vocals with it."

"All that sound last night was just programs? How did you get them to sound so… alive?"

Russel looked over at Ace, who fidgeted on his feet for a moment. "I dunno… I just kept reprogramming it till I got it right. Some of the notes are a little off… but I was sorta trying to match my own range, I guess."

"I think with a little more practice, we can improve your range." Rick stated. "If you stick to it and be patient, you'll certainly see results." The way Ace crossed his arms and rolled his eyes with a sigh made the old man frown. "Hey now, don't be like that kiddo."

Noodle suddenly appeared by the young man's side with a soft smile. "Why don't we go through some vocal scales when 2D comes back? It'll be fun."

"Plus ya gotta stop being so modest, kid." Murdoc spoke up. "Rick said that you do more than playing bass and singing."

As the door opened again 2D sighed, a hand tangled into his blue hair. "Ace? Don't be mad, but, Damon and Jamie did something."

Blinking, Ace's eyes followed as the singer approached him and held out his phone, showing the Gorillaz official website. He clicked on a link reading "Feel Good Inc.", hearing Ace's voice singing the chorus.

"They did this to build up hype for the concert tonight. Converted the recording into mp3s, and posted them up for download. Thought it might help to see what the fans think…" Stuart then scrolled down. "Only been up an hour and there's over 100,000 views and counting. There's almost as many downloads too."

Ace's eyes were wide as he saw the numbers slowly ticking up higher and higher. "T…thousands of people have already heard me?…"

"Bloody brilliant idea. Why didn't I think of that?" Murdoc scratched his stubbly chin. Then noticed the deer-in-headlights look on Ace's face and softened. "Sorry they just sprung it on you like that, kid. I gotta swing by and talk to them when I go pick up lunch later. Make sure they don't pull a stunt like this without telling you again."

Ace's ears were ringing, unconsciously having slipped his sunglasses up on top of his head. _"Wow…_ **_holy shit!_** _"_ The surprise and the smile on his face co-existed together so perfectly. As if it was all truly dawning on him. "Fuck… is… is this what it feels like to be a rockstar?…"

"That it is, Ace." Stuart's smile could melt butter, just as it did to the racing heart in Ace's chest.

Murdoc smirked triumphantly and gave a firm nod. "That it is."

  
  


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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hypothetically speaking let's say it's possible for Ace's bass to be fixed up and painted in time for the concert later in the day. Call it the magic of fiction. XD
> 
> Thanks for reading! ♡


	6. Why Should I Worry?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band debuts Ace at his first concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely lost track of how long it's been since I posted a new chapter. o.o My bad... but, happy 2021 everyone!
> 
> This chapter covers Ace's first concert. Originally, this was all written as the same chapter as chapter 7, but I decided to end chapter 6 at the end of the concert instead. Chapter 7 is a bit heavier, but I think they go good together back-to-back so that's why I'm posting them both tonight.
> 
> Hope that you all enjoy this next chapter, and the next! ♤

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As hard as Ace had anticipated it would be to cover up the ace of spades that Snake had painted on his bass, he felt oddly excited to share the idea he had for its redesign as well. Which Rick and Murdoc were eager to settle on before getting to showing the recordings of Ace's performances. The sooner it was decided on, the sooner it would be done. Rick could get it done no matter what, and wasn't even charging a penny. It was just one way for him to repay the young bassist for his recent hardships due to John's despicable behaviour. Ace would be receiving quite the monetary bonus as soon as he possibly could, but first the boy would need a bank account. That could be handled a little later, for now.

Ace finalized his design, placing down the old ace of spades playing card he had held onto. He had forgotten about his old deck of playing cards, which Snake had colored on or drawn on each card. The ace of spades had, of course, been the coolest design they had done. It was distinct yet colorful, and matched the pick guard with an etching of a snake on it that Rick had on-hand in his workshop. And it would fit perfectly in the spot where the painted black spade was on the body of the bass. The perfect tribute to Snake's original painting.

Ace's bass had been a natural wood without any paint, so what Snake had done was paint on the black spade before it was clear-coated. So it was just a black Spade on a natural wood body, which would now be painted over to white. Snake had searched high and low for white paint in their garage when they were painting the bass in their landfill fort at the Townsville dump; Happy Landfill. It had been more of a home to the teen than his actual home, and he spent more nights there than he could count. A landfill had been better than being with his parents.

But that thought and those haunting memories were brushed off of his mind as, once more, buzzing excitement filled the eager Ace's limbs when Noodle proclaimed that the views and downloads had surpassed 500,000 in the last hour. Dreams and memories that were of happier times in Happy Landfill filled his head, remembering the way he felt when playing music with and for his friends… and singing.

At age 11, Ace and his friends were huddled up in Happy Landfill during an afternoon thunderstorm. It was late summer, and they were old enough to roam around on their own at that point. Billy, despite his large stature, was very afraid of thunder. The poor boy wouldn't stop crying, so Ace held out his well-loved, light green teddy bear for Billy to hold onto while Ace hugged him. Humming softly at first, before he began singing.

Other times, they were there solely to play music. Rocking out to Gorillaz music, most of the time. They did more than that, but the Gorillaz were always their favorite. Ace always felt at peace when listening to them, or playing their music himself.

Somehow, against all odds, the biggest dream that the boy could ever have, had come true. And it had finally sunk in. Ace really did have what it takes to be a rockstar. He was already met with thousands of comments that were definitely _very_ approving of his performance. Now he was going to be in front of hundreds of fans in that stadium tonight, causing his pulse to race. In a very, very good way.

Once everyone was paying attention to the screen, Rick clicked play on the videos he had picked out. They showed various different songs that Ace had covered over the last year or so, done by various different artists and bands. Some of his performances admittedly involved Disney songs, but each one was done splendidly.

"This one has to be my favorite," Murdoc said as he clicked on the next file. "And by the way, kudos for knowing what Trigun is."

The theme song of said anime began to play, and Ace's face was clearly concentrated on the music as his fingers made each note flow out. It was a fast, difficult, and very catchy song. The way Ace's hips moved in response to the guitar riffs spoke volumes on how the music enveloped him, yet also projected so intensely from him.

"Holy shit, man." Russel's jaw was successfully dropped. Rather speechless, as well.

"Rick tried explaining to me how you rigged up that machine you were using for this," Murdoc pointed at the karaoke-looking machine behind Ace on the stage. "But I don't think he got it right. What did that thing _do?_ "

As the recording of that performance ended, Ace smirked a bit proudly. Leaning back cockily against the couch cushions; his long, skinny fingers gracefully interlocking with one another. Feet in those duct-taped black boots propped themselves comfortably up on the coffee table, as well. " _That_ , dear Murdy, was a secondhand karaoke machine that I got for next to nothing at a pawn shop. I fixed it up, and when I was researching how to repair it at the library one day, I dug up a way to hack it and load on my own mp3s. Tracy was a big help, since I don't have a computer or nothin'. And it wasn't the prettiest, but thanks to some free music editing software, she could remove the bass from the original tracks. Then we'd load on the mp3s I needed. That was the first time I ever used it for a live performance."

**_"Azrael All Mighty, kid!"_ ** Murdoc swore he could feel his own jaw hitting the floor. **_"You. Are. A. Bloody. Fucking. Genius!"_ **

"Ace, you invented a one-man band machine just so you could play music." Rick locked his eyes hard and firm with the boy. "I am _astounded_. I haven't met anyone as talented as you in decades."

Murdoc coughed and then smirked. "So who would that be?"

"Nobody important." Rick scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Arsehole."

" _Mocoso_."

As Stuart chuckled from their antics, he landed his eyes back on Ace. It was such a striking difference, the teen seemed so much more sure of himself. Almost humbled but finally proud enough to call himself a real rockstar.

"Say Ace, why wasn't you usin' that contraption last night?" the singer questioned curiously.

Ace suddenly let his head flop back, staring up at the ceiling as a long sigh escaped from his nose. "That forslugginer John broke it after open mic night last week… if I could kick his ass myself, I would. Fuckin' asshole."

"He has what's coming to him, kid. A lifetime in prison." Murdoc responded firmly. "Besides, he's a spineless worm. He'll make a right proper prison bitch."

Ace cracked a grin at the same time as a snicker. "Yeah, hope he drops the soap every ten seconds."

Rick soon turned off his computer, and as Murdoc collected the papers and the playing card for Bassey's redesign. Ace had yet to mention the name for his bass aloud to the others, and was a little embarrassed to reveal it when the time came. Rick also taught a few quick vocal warm-up lessons to both 2D and Ace, so that the elder vocalist could help Ace practice for their plans for the set list that evening.

Before Ace knew it, El Diablo's strap was secured around his shoulders, starting a random warm-up jam with the rest of the band as the two older men left them to practice.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Murdoc sighed as he leaned against the door to the workshop in the back of Rick's workshop; rubbing his eyes tiredly as he listened to Damon and Jamie on the other end of his cellphone. "Yes, I see… of course we can handle it. There's a week until our next concert, and we can have it done before then. I promise, you have my word."

As Rick finished applying the paint, the phone call was wrapped up. " _Mi amigo_ , anything wrong?"

"Ace's past." Murdoc spoke quietly now, shoving his hands in his pockets as he returned to his old friend's side at the workbench. "Nothing momentarily pressing… but I had a feeling there would be something that we have to handle before we can take him on tour. And he may not like it."

"Just be honest and upfront with him." Rick replied. "But maybe wait until after the concert. Tomorrow might be better."

The Satanist nodded. "That's the plan."

After picking up lunch, Murdoc and Rick rejoined the others while the bass sat in the workshop to finish drying. Ace had excitedly asked if he could see it, to which Rick chuckled and told him to be patient. They did inform the boy that the neck had to be replaced due to a crack, but he was fine with it. The body would still be the same, and now it would have a new design breathing life into it while paying tribute to its previous one.

Even with food in his system, Ace was starting to lose steam after the intense physical work that it took just to practice for so long. It was hard work, but just as fun. However, Murdoc swept in and let him take a break for a while so he could get his own practice in for the concert. Despite the noise of the rest of the band rehearsing, Ace still managed to doze off on that black leather couch. Relaxing as the music lulled him to sleep, nobody said a word and merely let him rest.

Just as they were wrapping up practice, Ace's eyes snapped open and he jolted upright. Stuart noticed from the mic and suddenly stopped singing, instead saying his name. The boy then scrambled up onto his feet, reaching for a blank sheet of paper and a pen from the coffee table. Writing down the notes to a bassline he could hear in his head, feeling his pulse throbbing in his neck. Releasing the breath he held in as soon as it was written down.

"I think someone's brain just made itself a baby." Murdoc sounded almost proud, even as he chuckled slightly. El Diablo was taken off over his head, holding it out towards Ace. "Lemme hear."

Ace didn't even secure the strap around his shoulders; his eyes closed and focused, holding the bass in his lap as he did the night before. The moment he began to play, 2D's eyes widened with a gasp; suddenly his big black saucers melted into an intense white.

The sound had an instant effect on the band; drums and guitar suddenly joined in, not at all unwelcome. Ace and 2D both hummed out of sync, neither of them able to come up with any words. After a grand crescendo, the keyboard was graced by a short melody from those impressive fingers.

As they all suddenly stopped, Ace's eyes snapped open wide as he panted for air. "Fuck, my brain _did_ just make a baby!" he exclaimed. "I just need to get the words out of my head, now…" A green hand tapped their knuckles against his forehead in thought, eyes focusing on nothing. "They're in there, I can feel it…"

"All in due time, Acey." Stuart's expression was so soft. "All in due time."

In the blink of an eye, the red light above the door began to flash red. Signaling they had twenty minutes left to wrap up rehearsal before leaving the studio. Dinner was next, and then off to the stadium for wardrobe and make-up, then a final soundcheck before the fans would be let in.

This was it.

Coffee accompanied their pre-show meal; despite the boy's obviously nervous stomach, Murdoc relentlessly made sure that he ate every single bite of his dinner. A very delicious, and very filling turkey bacon club sandwich with a side of fries. Even though Ace had rested for a while during the afternoon, he would need as much fuel for his stamina that he could get.

It was all so very real, Ace kept pinching his side to see if he would wake up during the limo ride. Sunglasses were perched atop of his head as he stared out of the tinted window of the limousine, watching the Cityville lights blurring by them. So full of life and vibrancy…

One final pinch, harder than the others, was enough to snap him out of it. Eyes wide with excitement, a sudden grin taking over his face. _"I'm gonna be a rockstar…"_

The crowd of fans, as well as news crews, met Ace's gaze as the limo brought them down the street. Blocked off, in anticipation of the new performer being brought on for the Gorillaz concert that night. Security was seen lined up around the area, and to Ace's relief the limousine was driven into a private, concrete garage of sorts. His identity was still a complete secret to all of those people… this was such a thrill!

With Ace's mind and body otherwise occupied, he went through make-up and wardrobe without nary a word. His usual jeans were swapped for light blue denim jeans, but he refused to change shoes due to how comfortable his boots were. A black, studded belt with an A-shaped belt buckle was added to his pants, and a new cotton tank top slipped over his head before Ace rejoined the others.

However, a moment later they all smirked at him. 2D then held something out to Ace: his white denim vest for performances. Turning it around for the boy to see the new black spade patch on the back. His eyes widened once more and he gasped.

"Rick fixed it up for you." Stuart spoke with a smile. "He said the old patch fell off a while back."

Ace took it from his extended hands, his thumbs running across the smooth, embroidered surface of the patch. It was beautiful, and it felt alive again. He immediately slipped it onto his shoulders with pride. "This is gonna be totally wicked. Thanks, you guys. I won't let you down, I promise."

"Man, ain't no way you gonna let us down." Russel sent him a strong, confident grin. "So don't even think about it no more."

Three loud knocks at the dressing room door were heard before two familiar figures entered. Rick, carrying Ace's bass case, and Tracy just behind him. The moment Tracy laid her eyes on the teenager, her face lit up and she called his name before rushing over to him. Enveloping the young musician in her arms, standing on her tippy-toes in order to be close to his eye level.

"Trace! What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice dripping with surprise. Smiling all the same, returning the hug just as tightly.

"Rick gave tickets and passes to Ben and I." she said with a smile, pulling away slightly and placed her hands on Ace's shoulders. "Look at you… I can't believe that this is real! I always knew you would be going places… oh Acey, I am just so proud of you!"

Ace's cheeks flushed to a modest shade of pink from Tracy's praises, to which she merely giggled and hugged him tightly again.

"Give them hell, Ace." Tracy said softly, giving him a few firm pats on his back. "Break a leg."

"I always give 'em hell, Trace." That firm, confident smile that Ace gave was something else. Tracy knew then that Ace could finally see for himself just how amazing he really was, and accepted the praises that he had usually rejected in the past.

Finally, the damn stubborn kid had given in. There was no sin in his pride anymore.

Rick stepped closer, holding the bass case in his arms. "Are you ready?"

Ace's chest tightened with anticipation, but he gulped and nodded.

Rick held the case steady, Murdoc stepping up and opening it for Ace to see.

The boy gasped into his hand, stumbling forward a little. _"Holy shit…"_ he uttered between his fingers. Eyes of pink with black irises were blown wide open in wonder. _"It's fucking_ **_perfect!_** _"_

A black neck complemented the white body, with a pink and blue gradient pick guard with an etching of a snake in white. The ace of spades playing card laid where Snake's original painting of his black spade had been. There was a faint shadow from deep beneath the white paint of the original spade, which was noticeable in the right lighting, as it was right now.

Before he even picked it up, Ace's fingers ran over the outline of the spade. _"It's still there… that's so cool…"_

"We noticed, too." Murdoc smiled warmly. "Gives it a hell of a lot of character, Ace. Because you were right last night: your new tomorrow is coming to you today."

Ace pulled his hands away and snorted into them. "Jesus Christ, 'Doc. You're such a cheesy old man." he muttered through stifled giggles.

Murdoc snorted himself, causing the others to all laugh a bit themselves.

"Well, in a way, I was once you, kid. I don't know what path your life led you or how, but, I needed to hear shit like you do a lot when I was younger. The first person who ever praised me like that was Rick, and his word and his friendship mean the world to me. And I know that you need something like that right now, too."

Ace blushed slightly, a light pink that made it look as if his cheeks were faintly glowing. But just a moment later, he grasped his reborn bass and held it in his hands, admiring the gleam of the white paint, the shadow of Snake's original spade beneath where the playing card was nestled. Fingers ran over the etching of the snake, before the white strap slipped over Ace's head.

Those nimble green digits strummed across the shiny new strings. Tuning one slightly before repeating the action and then lifted his lowered head with the widest, most confident Cheshire Cat smile he could give with his beautifully gleaming, pointed teeth.

"You're right, 'Doc. And you're also right that I can fucking do this."

The sharp-toothed Satanist returned his downright devilish smirk with equal intensity. "That'a boy."

  
  


* * *

  
  


The curtains drew a few songs into the set. Ace had finished eating green apple slices a few minutes ago; an old trick used by many singers. Eating a green apple before a performance, as it helped to coat the mouth and throat for singing.

Murdoc stepped aside as Ace was motioned to come onto the stage, and he was soon plugging his bass into the amp, adjusting the mic in front of him to better suit his height.

**_"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! It's time for us to bring out our newest band member. A very talented young man that many, many people from around the world have been waiting for us to reveal."_ **

2D spoke into his mic with curtains still drawn. The cheers were deafening, and Ace gulped slightly, before giving the singer a determined nod.

**_"From the city of Townsville… the Gorillaz are proud to present…"_ **

Ace began playing the bassline to "Clint Eastwood", his eyes falling closed behind his sunglasses. The curtains gradually parted and the lights slowly turned up.

This was it.

**_"For the first time ever! The one and only… Ace of Spades Copular!"_ **

Shouts of glee greeted the green boy, who focused on his bass as the rest of the band began to play with him, minus Murdoc who stood off to Ace's left. Watching the others – mainly Ace, admittedly – with his arms crossed and a smirk across his face.

2D sang alone during the beginning. Soon when the rap section came along, Ace began to sing. And the cheers of encouragement he received were well worth it. Emotion dripped from his voice; stirring from deep within him as he sang. Very much encouraged by the sounds of approval coming from the audience.

Little did he know, the band hid the fact that tonight's concert was being live-streamed through their website and YouTube channel. So little did he know, many more people were watching just to see him.

Including some who had been looking for him for years.

As the first rapping portion ended, Ace transitioned smoothly into singing along with 2D and the audience _definitely_ approved. The way their voices rang out together was perfect.

By the time Ace was singing on his own again, his eyes had opened and he looked around the audience from behind the sunglasses that weren't completely covering his eyes. It was astounding. Cheers, waves, shouts, smiles… all for him.

Barely a breath passed between Ace going from, _"That it's all in your head."_ into the final chorus alongside 2D. By the final line, Ace was singing alone again. When the pause came, there was mostly silence for a moment until they transitioned their way into "Tomorrow Comes Today". This time, Ace began to sing on his own, with 2D merely backing him up.

Just two songs in, and the rush hadn't cooled at all. Ace was just as hyped as when the curtain rose. A thin sheen of sweat formed on his forehead already, but the excitement was only beginning.

It was a long night, with Ace and Murdoc seamlessly taking turns all throughout. During certain songs, Ace merely set his bass down on its stand and focused on singing while Murdoc played. At times, he noticed the sweat on his brow or how damp his hair felt; but all of them had worked up a sweat, as had the audience.

Ace stood holding onto his mic in its stand, his eyes scanned the crowd as he took a moment to catch his breath. His other hand tucked sweaty hair behind his ear, pushing sunglasses up atop of his head before that snake-charming smile made its way back onto his face. "DARE" was coming up next, and their plan was to have Ace singing Noodle's parts to show off his vocal range.

2D gestured to Russel not to count off the song just yet, and Ace didn't even notice that their eyes were all on him as he exhaled before taking a deep breath. Holding the mic with one hand, before lifting the other up in the air, he suddenly used the moment to perform his favorite vocal warm-ups to ready his throat for the challenge of "DARE" before him.

Which also happened to be something he had learned from watching videos of Freddie Mercury and Queen.

**_"Aay ooh!"_ **

The crowd shouted it back; Ace practically glowed beneath the stage lights.

**_"Aaayyyy oooh!"_ **

They repeated it again each time, matching his enthusiasm and inflections. As Ace's voice gradually built up higher and higher after a few calls and returns, he shut his eyes and surprised even himself as a much higher, much longer note extended out. The crowd once again responded in turn, Ace caught his breath with a pant.

After a few quicker back-and-forths, Ace exclaimed with a grin, **_"Alright!"_ ** To which the word was cheered in return. _"Always wanted to do that."_ he muttered into the mic.

With that, 2D gave Russel a nod and "DARE" began. It was almost over now, and it felt like the night had only just begun. In the interim between "DARE" and "We Are Happy Landfill", Ace had to take an extra long drink from the water bottle by his amp. Throat slightly hoarse, but he was more than ready to tackle the rest.

Through the distinctive noise at the end of "We Are Happy Landfill", they faded into something that wasn't even one of their songs. After hearing one of Ace's past performances and how he played it after "We Are Happy Landfill" had impressed them enough to add it to the set list.

Sunglasses fell back down onto Ace's nose in the perfect spot as he began to sing, holding onto the mic with one hand.

  
  


**_"_** **_One minute, I'm in Central Park  
Then I'm down on Delancey Street  
Say, up on the Bow'ry to St. Mark's   
There's a syncopated beat_ **

_**Say, whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo-hoo!** _   
_**I'm streetwise, I can improvise!** _   
_**Say, whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo-hoo!** _   
_**I'm street smart, I've got New York City Heart!"** _   
  


Ace wound up detaching the wireless mic from the stand, holding it in one hand as he sung and danced at the same time. Getting the audience further rocking along to the music, which he loved to get them to do.

  
  


_**"Why should I worry?** _   
_**Why should I care?** _   
_**I may not have a dime,** _   
_**But I got street savoir-faire!** _

  
_**Why should I worry?** _   
_**Why should I care?** _   
_**It's just bebop-ulation,** _   
_**And I got street savoir-faire!** _   
_**Mmm-hmm~"** _

  
  


2D's head bopped to the song as they played, sweaty blue hair flopping about; smiling brightly, singing back-ups and wholeheartedly supporting the teenager through every song.

Ace moved so naturally, with so much pride and confident showmanship. His excitement and enthusiasm oozed nothing but pure love and fun for music, and his talent was undeniable.

  
  


_**"The rhythm of the city!** _   
_**But once you get it down,** _   
_**Then you can own this town!** _   
_**You can wear the crown!** _

_**Why should I worry?** _   
_**Tell me! Why should I care?** _   
_**Say, I may not have a dime,** _   
_**Oh! But I got street savoir-faire!** _

_**Why should I worry?** _   
_**Why should I care?** _   
_**It's just a doo-wop-ulation,** _   
_**And I got street savoir-faire!"** _

  
  


2D and Noodle harmonized, **_"Everything goes, Everything fits!"_ **

Ace had lowered down onto one knee and extended his hand out in a way that it looked like he was reaching out to somebody very important.

  
  


_**"They love me at the Chelsea,** _   
_**They adore me at the Ritz!"** _

  
  


Giving a sassy little wink and small smirk before he jumped up onto his feet and continued singing. The cheers sounded like screams of admiration from the natural way he danced to the music as he sang. Not show-boating in the slightest, hell even Murdoc paused playing for a brief moment to applaud him just before he carried on.

  
  


**_"Why should I worry?_ **   
**_Why should I care? Yeah!_ **   
**_And even when I cross downtown line,_ **   
**_I got street savoir-faire!_ **

**_Whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo-hoo!_ **   
**_Say whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo-hoo!_ **   
**_Whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo-hoo!"_ **

  
  


The "whoo-hoo" parts repeated over and over again for ages; Ace's movements were those of encouragement to get the audience to sing along with him, just as happily as he did with, "We are the Happy Landfill! Alright!" They were his favorite songs with which to engage his audience, and they very often enjoyed when he invited them to sing along.

However, all good things must come to an end. Eventually, they just had to stop.

Wiping his brow with his wrist, Ace then smiled out at the audience with the utmost of appreciation.

**_"Thank you everybody!"_ ** He threw the devil horns high up in the air with his left hand, holding the mic with his right. **_"We love you!"_ **

The rest of the band lined up at the front of the stage, grasping hands and taking a bow all together as the curtains drew shut.

Cheers only grew louder when they were obscured by the black curtains; chanting throughout the stadium, **_"Ace of Spades! Ace of Spades! Ace of Spades!"_ **

Murdoc smirked, taking the mic from Ace's hand. **_"Do you all want an encore?"_ ** The whistles and calls made Ace's ears ring from the intensity. Heterochromic eyes locked with the younger's, who despite his panting for air, smiled and nodded firmly in confirmation. **_"Be back in twenty, folks."_ **

  
  


* * *

  
  


Gatorade, a towel, more water, and a trip to the bathroom did wonders for Ace's stamina. A few more green apple slices later and he was ready to go back out there.

It was going to be a quick encore, only two songs. They were decided on very fast.

When they returned to the stage, Ace briefly played the first song on his bass to tease the waiting crowd. They shouted happily, growing louder when the curtain parted after the rest of the band was ready and in place.

Ace then led them off on the Trigun theme song, which perfectly pleased the rocking audience. It was drawn out a bit longer and jammed on _very_ enthusiastically by the rest of the band. After about three minutes, they let it fade out.

2D then stood at his mic stand as Noodle and Ace set down their instruments.

**_"Thank you all, you've been a wonderful audience! But it's been a long day, so this will have to be our last song. Picked out by Noodle and Ace, so let's give 'em a round, eh?"_ **

The claps and cheers were just the encouragement they needed. Lights dimmed down, with Russel setting down his drumsticks and keeping his eyes on the others.

Noodle, Ace and 2D sat close to one another, each of them on a stool. With her acoustic guitar in her lap, she didn't start to play the final song just yet. But once she looked over at the two boys, they both nodded, and she smiled.

As she began to play, that scene appeared in Ace's head again. A dark and rainy afternoon, yet the rain didn't dare sneak into the shack at the Townsville dump that had been dubbed "Happy Landfill". Billy clutched Ace's soft, light green teddy bear in his large hands as tears overflowed from his big blue eye, concealed by the orange fringe of his bangs.

  
  


**_"Blackbird, singing in the dead of night_ **   
**_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_ **   
**_All your life_ **   
**_You were only waiting for this moment to arise"_ **

  
  


Even now, with the crowd so quiet, Ace could feel the eyes of his friends on him through that vivid memory. Hear Billy's racing heartbeat and heavy breathing that began to slow as he focused on Ace's voice instead of the rumbling storm outside the cracked windows.

  
  


_**"Blackbird, singing in the dead of night** _   
_**Take this sunken eye and learn to see** _   
_**All your life** _   
_**You were only waiting for this moment to be free"** _

  
  


Noodle and 2D both joined in, harmonizing with him.

  
  


_**"Blackbird, fly** _   
_**Blackbird, fly** _   
_**Into the light of a dark black night** _

_**Blackbird, fly** _   
_**Blackbird, fly** _   
_**Into the light of a dark black night"** _

  
  


The soft whistling from each of them sounded as if birds themselves were singing in harmony. As Billy wiped the tears from his eye, Ace held him so tightly and caringly as the bigger boy still trembled softly. The memory still faint in Ace's head; hoping his singing could reach his old friend now.

  
  


**_"Blackbird, singing in the dead of night_ **   
**_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_ **   
**_All your life_ **   
**_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_ **   
**_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_ **   
**_You were only waiting for this moment to arise"_ **

  
  


The crowd all stood and clapped with appreciative crowing, making Ace smile. **_"That one was for you, Billy."_ ** he spoke fondly into the mic.

2D's eyes had been completely white ever since Ace woke up that afternoon, and they looked as if they were glowing as he smiled in Ace's direction. When they stood, he grasped Ace's hand again, holding it up in the air with his. **_"Give it up for Ace, everybody!"_ **

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! ♡


	7. Once Upon A Time In New York City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace begins to confront his past, starting with a phone call from someone with a familiar name.

* * *

  
  


As soon as they were back in the dressing room, Russel pulled Ace into a headlock and noogied him. **_"That was amazing, man! You knocked 'em dead!"_ **

That confident grin given by the boy was a striking difference between his meek attitude from earlier that morning. **_"You know it! That was such a rush! I feel so alive!"_ ** Russel raised his hand up for a high-five, which Ace gladly returned.

"What did we tell you, Ace?" Murdoc smirked and ruffled Ace's sweaty hair. "I'm proud of you…" He grimaced slightly as he pulled his hand away. "You _definitely_ need a shower, but I'm proud of you."

"Like any of us smell like spring roses right now…" Stuart giggled, grabbing another towel to wipe himself down, starting with his hair. "Ace."

Murdoc had thrown a clean towel over the younger's head in a playful manner, and as he giggled he heard the singer address him. Placing it around his shoulders he looked over at him.

"You did great, it was such an honor to play with you during your world debut." Stuart smiled, his eyes still a bright hue of white; they felt like warm milk to Ace's soul. "Boy was it fun, too! Singing with you was something else."

Ace's face was a faint pink again, but he pushed his sunglasses up on his head again. Those onyx irises were filled with determination and passion, and the boy's smile was unmatched. "I had a blast… I can't believe everyone liked me that much. I haven't sang like that in a… _long time_."

"You are a natural at this, Acey." Noodle spoke with a small smile, brushing a bit of her own sweaty hair from her face. "This will be a great tour, if you're still up for coming along."

Seventeen years old, just about a month away from turning eighteen. Living in a fucking shack at the dump that was the second shack at a dump that had been home to him in his life. He hadn't even finished middle school, and yet now he was becoming a rockstar mere weeks from when he would have graduated from high school.

"Wouldn't dream of missing it, Sakura." was his genuinely humble reply.

Each band member gave an approving nod.

"Great to hear." Murdoc smirked playfully in Ace's direction, suddenly tossing him a beer can before throwing them each to the rest of the band. "Now here's a toast to the kid who's neck-and-neck with being the world's best bassist." Holding his beer up. "To Ace Fucking Copular!"

**_"Ace Fucking Copular!"_ **

Despite the fact that he cheered and drank with them, Stuart quickly realized, "Ace is only seventeen, Mudsy! We could get in trouble for that!"

"Relax, Stu. Not like any of us will be getting smashed tonight." Murdoc waved him off casually. "One beer won't kill him."

Ace shrugged. "I had a fake ID once and _still_ didn't get carded cuz of how tall I am. Not like I ever get full-on drunk, either."

"It's like you're trying to be some bad boy. But you're not even bad boy material." Stuart giggled out.

Murdoc snorted and chortled from deep within his throat. "He's a kid who wants to be a rockstar." He then locked eyes with the blushing Ace and smirked. "But he actually is one now and has no clue what to do with himself."

Ace scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Well, I think I have a good idea now."

Stuart gave a nod. "I can see that, and I'm glad."

The celebrations that night were like nothing that Ace had experienced before. Returning to the diner they were at the night before, sharing good food and a round of chocolate milkshakes before returning to the hotel. The adrenaline that Ace could feel racing through his limbs was so electrifying, he didn't want it to end.

Even after a warm, relaxing shower, Ace was reluctant to go to sleep. However, Stuart insisted on him just laying down in bed, which the teenager did with a groan. Murdoc was still putzing around in the other room, but the singer was tired so he slipped beneath the covers himself. As Ace sighed softly, his eyes having already slipped closed, he unconsciously leaned into Stuart's hand when it started to rub gentle circles on his back.

A quiet giggle muffled itself behind Stuart's lips, but he smiled at how quickly Ace started relaxing. "You really are a pretty stubborn kid, eh?" Murdoc dimmed down the lights, cracking his back before slipping into the other side of the bed.

"He's still young, 'D. Sometimes you gotta force yourself to sleep before the fourth or fifth wind comes around." Murdoc chuckled softly, stretching out a little before settling down and laying on his side. With Ace facing his direction, there were definitely dark circles seen around his closed eyes, already breathing a bit slower. "Tired, Acey?"

All Ace could do was yawn, just before his face nuzzled into the pillows.

"I think that's a yes." Stuart hummed, soon giving his own yawn. His fingers kept rubbing up and down Ace's back, noticing how much he relaxed as a result. Ace had curled up on his side like a kitten, grunting sleepily before another yawn escaped his lips. _"Goodnight, Ace."_ The boy barely groaned, his even breathing already indicating slumber. Smiling, Stu then picked his head up and looked over the boy. "Goodnight, Mudsy."

Murdoc smiled for a moment in return. "Night, love."

  
  


* * *

  
  


"Acey… hey, Acey?"

Said eleven year-old boy blinked, turning around from the window he stood at in the Happy Landfill clubhouse. Black hair framed his face, with a black and blue swelling over his left eye. There was a mostly dried bloody split on his bruised, green bottom lip.

The other kid, who was ten, held a hand on their chest, sighing and visibly deflating at the sight of the elder. "Who did it _thissss_ … time?" they asked softly, crossing the room and placing a hand on Ace's right cheek.

"It's fine." Snake looked into his eyes worriedly, but Ace gave as confident of a grin he could muster. "I'm fine, alright?"

Biting their lip, the younger looked down. Hands grasped fistfulls of fabric from their baggy orange and black basketball shorts, sniffling slightly and nodded.

_"But you don't seem fine…"_

  
  


* * *

  
  


"Acey… hey, Acey?…"

Ace groaned into the chest his face was currently buried in, feeling gentle fingers stroking through his hair. He sighed and relaxed, nuzzling into the warm body beside him.

_"I'm fine…"_ came the tired mumble, the other responding with a sigh.

Just then, the bedroom door swung open and Murdoc laid his eyes on both figures still beneath the blankets. "Holy shit, it's almost noon and he still isn't awake?"

"Well, he doesn't have the same stamina for concerts as we do." Stuart replied, trying to keep his voice soft. "It almost seems like he's hardly ever slept this much before…"

Murdoc sighed through his broken nose. He couldn't put this off much longer, but he hoped that Ace would understand. Standing from where he leaned against the doorframe, he crossed to the bed and sat down beside the other two. They weren't in a rush like the day before, but Murdoc knew that waking up the sleeping teenager wasn't going to be easy to do once again. Ace had already proved to be harder to wake up than Noodle had been as a teenager.

Instead of shaking or tickling, this time Murdoc began to rub the younger's back with his firm, calloused fingers. The result was almost immediate; Ace's shoulders twitched, his body practically melting against Stuart with a relaxed hum. As a soft natural smile etched itself across his face, Ace's eyelids fluttered slightly. Within just a few short minutes, the teenager began to stir with a sleepy groan.

Much less confused than the morning before, Ace yawned and moved his hand to his face. Rubbing at his eyes, he then realized that he wasn't alone in bed as he felt a body beside his. Yet Stuart was unfazed by his sleepy, and slightly confused expression, returning it brightly with that sweet kitten-like look in his eyes paired with the smile that fluttered Ace's chest every time he saw it. Black optics were full of nothing but love and sincerity, which was enough to make the freshly woken boy blush faintly. "Mornin' Acey. Hope you slept well. You sure were tired, eh?"

Ace then felt Murdoc's hand on his shoulder and the muscles beneath it twitched slightly; the elder felt it, but didn't say a word. The kid definitely wasn't used to having his guard down this much, that was obvious.

_"Uhhh… y-yeah, I guess so…"_ Ace slowly blinked his eyes a few times and rubbed them again, trying to further wake himself up.

The Satanist took his hand away, Stuart allowing Ace to pull away from him. The blue-haired man sat himself up and stretched his back. "Man, I slept pretty hard myself… plus I was so warm and comfy."

"E-erm…" Ace suddenly blushed a little more as he gained more consciousness; lower lip bitten between his pointy teeth. He slowly pushed himself up, brushing his fingers through his tangled bedhead, which stuck up in messy curls from slumber. "I, uh… I didn't keep ya from anything, did I 'D?…"

"Not at all, I was pretty beat myself after last night."

Murdoc looked over his shoulder when he heard Russel's distinctive knock at the door to the suite, so he stood and excused himself to go answer it. Stuart climbed out of bed and began rifling through his suitcase for clean clothes while Ace headed into the bathroom.

As he washed his face, a knock was heard again, this time on the bathroom door. "Hey Ace?" Murdoc's voice again; the boy shut off the water and grabbed a clean hand towel, patting his face dry before he opened the door. The look on Murdoc's face seemed a little bewildered, Ace cocked an eyebrow at him just before he spoke again. "There's a phone call for you."

Ace blinked. "A phone call?" Murdoc nodded. "Who from?"

"Some codger who says his name is Professor Utonium." Ace's eyes widened and he suddenly stumbled back, hitting the wall and uselessly grasped at it with his hands for a moment. "I take it you know him, then?"

Ace's head slumped down slightly, but he nodded. "He's… my old friends' dad. Of the triplets I knew back in Townsville."

"He sounded pretty worried to me." Russel stood in the doorway of the bedroom, with Noodle heard fixing coffee for them in the other room. "I thought it was a joke till he mentioned the name Buttercup."

Ace exhaled shakily, lifting a hand up and grabbing at his still messy hair. "You should talk to him." He bit his lip, giving a sigh before he nodded to Murdoc. "Get dressed, kid."

It took minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. Ace was back in his faded black jeans, with another shirt borrowed from 2D; a white shirt with red sleeves that said "Zombie Amnesia" in blood-like text across the front. Ace even brushed his own hair to stall for a little while before he stepped out into the sitting room where the rest of the band was waiting.

Ace sat down beside Stuart, with Murdoc seated on the other side of the singer. Reaching for the landline on the table beside him, Ace took in a lungful of air before slowly letting it out. Grasping it, he nodded mutely when Murdoc told him to click on line 3. When he did, he heard a sigh come through the receiver and gasped at the sound, as it caught him off guard.

"H…hello?" was uttered after a moment of awkward silence.

**_"Ace?"_ ** The boy picked his head up and sat a bit straighter when he recognized the voice, even after all of these years. **_"Ace, is that you?"_ **

A pang hit him in the chest and tightened, but he sighed and gave a slight nod even though the man couldn't see him. "Yeah… yeah, it's me, Professor."

**_"Oh my word… Ace…"_ ** The Professor's voice was shaking, and the noise through the telephone indicated that he was crying. **_"Thank goodness… I just knew that you were alive all of this time."_ **

Ace awkwardly shifted his knees together, his left hand grasping the edge of the couch cushion tightly. "I, uh… y-yeah… I am…"

And then his eyes widened again when he heard another familiar voice speak up. **_"Oh, Acey… Ace sweetie, we've been so worried about you."_ **

_"Is… is that Sara?…"_ he uttered, picturing the red-headed woman perfectly in his head. The woman who had been like a mother to him. Who even let him call her Mom.

**_"Yes, I'm here too, Ace."_ ** Sara's voice responded. They must have been on speakerphone. **_"Oh honey, you have no idea how happy I am right now. I'm so glad that you're safe."_ **

Ace's shoulders fell and his body hunched over a bit. **_"Ace, where have you been?"_ ** the Professor asked. **_"We've been looking for you ever since you disappeared."_ **

"You've… been looking for me?" Ace sounded confused. "But why?"

**_"Because we love you."_ ** Sara answered. **_"All of us. All of these years, we wanted you to come home to be with us again."_ **

**_"And after the way your parents were found, the police thought you might have been kidnapped. Or worse…"_ **

Ace suddenly exhaled roughly through his nose. "Why do you even care?"

**_"How do you mean? Ace, we promised to help you, remember?"_ **

"Yeah. I remember. And I trusted you." Ace's voice suddenly took on a bitter tone.

Stuart placed his hand on Ace's back, attempting to help him stay calm.

**_"Ace… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept you in the dark. But… I want you to know, ever since that day, I have worked very hard to help you. We were very close when we found out that you were missing… and when we heard about your parents."_ **

"I don't want to talk about them." Ace said curtly. In front of him, Noodle set down a cup of ice coffee, which caught his attention. She merely smiled and pointed to it with the cream and sugar on the coffee table. To which he nodded, and then looked downward once more.

The Professor was heard giving a soft sigh. **_"It's alright, Ace. I understand. I just want you to know that we have been looking for you. All of us. The girls, and Miss Keane, Snake, Grubber, Billy and Arturo--"_ **

"Billy and Arturo?!" Ace cut him off, eyes wide and head snapped upward. "But… the orphanage… didn't they get sent away to live with their _tia_?"

**_"She wasn't fully prepared to take care of them… so we fostered and then adopted them. As well as Snake and Grubber. And fostering to adopt another girl, Blisstina."_ **

"You did?…"

**_"Yes. There's so much more than that, but… we are just so happy that you are safe."_ ** the Professor spoke, his voice shaking with tears.

_"Fuck… are you guys crying?…"_ he muttered.

Sara audibly sniffled and tried to catch her breath, heard blowing her nose. Ace correctly assumed that she was also drying her eyes, and before she spoke again he bit down on his lip. **_"Yes, but it's alright honey."_ **

**_"Ace."_ ** The teenager let out the breath he'd held in, almost certain he knew what the Professor was going to ask. **_"Where did you go?… Where have you been all this time?…"_ **

Ace hung his head lower, hair obscuring his face. He was silent for a long moment, which triggered Stuart's hand to stop rubbing the circles he hadn't fully noticed the older man had been doing.

**_"Ace? Are you still there?"_ **

He sighed. "Yeah. I'm still here."

**_"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer me if you don't want to."_ **

Ace sighed softly again. "… Well…" His knees rubbed together as they shifted again, keeping his gaze low. "I've been in Cityville. Ever since I left four years ago."

**_"But why did you leave?"_ **

"I didn't want to end up in foster care." He could feel Stuart's hand twitch on his back. There was no turning back anymore.

**_"Ace… I'm sorry. We were so focused on what to do to help you… to get you away from your parents. I should have told you what we were doing."_ **

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Ace asked. "What were you _doing?_ What else could you have _possibly_ needed to do before you could have actually _helped me_ like you promised?"

**_"Ace. I promised you that I would help you, and I mean it. Sara and I both. We love and care about you so much."_ **

"Then why did you leave me there for so long?!" Ace snarled rather unexpectedly.

_Sigh_. **_"We didn't want to. But the social worker advised us to be patient."_ **

"The what?"

**_"We were working privately with a social worker. Gathering evidence. Becoming certified."_ **

"Certified?"

**_"To become foster parents. So that we could officially adopt you."_ **

The phone slipped out of Ace's hand, clattering against the floor. The boy was frozen, his mouth fallen open and unmoving.

**_"Ace? Are you there? What's wrong? Ace?"_ ** Sara again, and she sounded even more worried than before.

Just as Stuart spoke again, sounding worried himself, Ace scrambled onto the floor to pick up the phone. The words coming from the blue-haired Brit fell on deaf ears as shaky green hands held the phone in both hands up to his ear once more.

_"What did you just say?…"_ Ace uttered with shock, his voice trembling almost as much as his lips over his pointed teeth.

**_"Ace. We knew you ever since you were five. You are an extraordinary, beautiful young man. The paperwork we had filed to adopt you was finalized and dated on your fourteenth birthday. But you had been reported missing for a month by then."_ **

_"You only found out I was alive this morning, didn't you?…"_ Ace muttered, his shoulders dropping and his eyes brimming with tears he didn't dare to escape just yet.

**_"Last night. During the live-stream of the concert."_ **

Suddenly, Ace turned his head and locked eyes with Murdoc. The Satanist, like the other bandmates, were confused by the half of the conversation they could hear. And worried by what was happening to Ace the more it went on. "I had no fucking idea I was on live-stream last night." To which Murdoc blinked and his eyes widened in realization.

That was what he had forgotten to tell the boy that morning. He had come to tell Stu and Ace how many viewers were watching online last night, only to be distracted by rousting the youngest from his slumber. "My bad." Murdoc muttered.

**_"I think we have a lot to talk about, Ace. Much, much more than we can even begin to cover over the phone."_ ** Sara spoke up again after a while of the Professor doing most of the talking. **_"And I promise, for as long as I live on this planet, I will always love and adore you as my son. I will prove to you that you deserve a real mother. I love you with all of my heart, Acey. I know this is a lot to take in… so you can take all of the time you need to think about it. Alright?"_ **

Ace's head was reeling, but without even thinking, the words left his mouth. "Alright, I'll think about it… but what's even the point? I turn eighteen in a month… and I have no idea when I'll be back in Townsville again."

The teenager then jumped slightly when a hand placed itself atop his head, glancing up just as Murdoc extended his other hand out for the phone. Ace didn't even think twice and gave it to him, before tucking his knees up against his chest. Long, skinny arms folded up atop of his knees where he rested his head. Listening as Murdoc began to converse with the Professor and Sara, and as soon as he felt 2D beside him the elder pulled him against his side. Holding Ace's body against his firmly, neither forcing him to stay nor expecting him to speak. Ace gladly melted into the embrace, yet he still didn't dare to cry. Not again.

"Hello, Professor Utonium? And… ah, Doctor Bellum. Yes, this is Murdoc Niccals." Murdoc spoke, his free arm reaching for a pen and pad of paper before he sat back down. "I understand, and thank you very much for calling us. I know how complicated the situation is, but we are very willing to help Ace out. Oddly enough as it would happen, we do have business to attend to in Townsville tomorrow."

Ace tensed up when he heard that, which Stuart immediately sensed and held him tighter.

"No no, nothing of that sort. But we can discuss things later, if that works with you both?" Murdoc was silent while they responded, to which he nodded and held the phone against his shoulder, jotting down the phone numbers they gave him. "Sure thing, we should be in touch by seven this evening. Thank you, and goodbye."

The _beep_ indicating the hang-up button had been pushed echoed through Ace's ears. Suddenly he was shaking, indicating the sound of Murdoc's boots just beside Stu, and the man's voice when he squatted down.

Slowly, Ace's arms fell down limp at his sides. "How much do you really know about me? And don't fucking lie."

"Muds? We ain't in any trouble for takin' in Ace, are we?" Russel asked.

"Believe me, if there was a complication like that, I wouldn't have kept it a secret." Murdoc responded. "I assure you all, there is no legal trouble afoot."

Stuart gently smoothed his hand over shoulder-length black hair. "Ace… what's wrong? What is it that you didn't want to tell us? We won't be angry."

Ace kept his head low, willing himself to make the tears disappear before they could escape.

_"… I didn't just leave Townsville… I ran away…"_ was the whispered mutter.

"Why did you run away?"

"I didn't think that I would be missed… I just wanted to go away… far away…"

Suddenly, Murdoc spoke up. "… Ace. I'm sorry for keeping this a secret from you." he began. "Knowing what Rick told me, and needing to know more about you, especially when we draw up your contract with the band… I asked Russ and Noodle to help me get information from where you came from. Not even Rick knew where you were from, but once I had a town attached to your name… well, I didn't look into it myself. Damon and Jamie did, or made someone else do the digging. All I know was that you have been classified as missing and a possible runaway." Murdoc ran his fingers through his hair, fringe brushed back from his forehead as he exhaled. "I don't know anything beyond that. Don't get mad at Russ and Noods, okay? Get mad at me. I didn't want to distract you from the concert, but I had to know that we weren't about to get in hot water by taking in a kid from your sort of situation. Only because you're a minor."

"Is that really all you know?… If you're lying to me 'Doc, I swear–"

"Hand to Satan and all of his demons in Hell, I am _not_ lying to you." Murdoc swore, grasping his inverted cross pendant to prove himself. "I promise."

Russel rubbed at his eyes and sighed, beginning to speak after a moment. "Look, Ace. I dunno what may have happened, but… man, if there's no legal trouble, then it can't be that bad. 'Sides, Muds' done some pretty messed up shit an' gone to fucking jail before. Yet he's still one of my closest friends, despite all of his wild and weird stories and shit. You're young, and I know what it's like to be scared. But you can't run away from your past, and it sounds like this is something we're all gonna have to deal with. Just know this: no matter what, you are still our friend, and still a part of the band."

Noodle gave a firm nod and hum in confirmation. "That's right. No matter what it is and what else happens, we're here for you."

Stuart nodded as well, continuing to hold the trembling teen boy. Gently rocking their bodies so that Ace wouldn't come undone as hard as he had the other night. "I promise, I will always be here for you. You're my friend, Ace. No matter what. I will always care."

Murdoc breathed softly through his crooked nose. "If you're not ready to tell us… that's alright. But the reason why we'll be in Townsville tomorrow is because a detective and social services need to speak with you. They assured that you aren't in any legal trouble, they just need to talk to you so that they can close your case. You disappeared from your hometown for four years… and by the sounds of it, that Professor and doctor seemed like they've been looking for you."

"Why should I ever trust them again?" Ace was speaking without thinking. The wound of his past had been reopened so suddenly, and now here he was coming down from the brink of another anxiety attack. "They promised to help me, promised me that I wouldn't be stuck there for the rest of my life. Where the hell were they when I needed them the most?!"

Stuart could feel tears against his shoulder when he suddenly pulled Ace into an embrace, holding him firmly and securely. The melody of "On Melancholy Hill" hummed gently in his throat as spindly fingers stroked his hair in a soothing manner. "Ace… nobody is perfect. Not even adults." The singer didn't show any pity or anger towards the boy for his sudden emotional outburst, or for anything else that Ace had shown in front of him. "I don't know what it is, but there isn't anything to be afraid of anymore. No one is chasing you, no one is against you… but I get it. You're afraid. Everyone is. You're still so young… but life has kicked you in the head more times than you can even count. Right?"

When he felt Ace nod against him, he placed his hands on Ace's shoulders and carefully pulled back. Reaching a hand out again to brush back the black strands that fell messily in front of his face, smiling softly even though Ace wasn't looking up at him yet.

"You're still here and you keep kicking back… but you don't have to do it alone anymore. Okay?" There was a long pause before Ace gave another nod. "Okay… then, will you answer something for me?" Ace glanced up, meeting soft warm saucers of white. Stu didn't say a word about the drying streaks on his face or how his eyes looked a bit redder. A third nod was his answer. "If you've been on your own all of this time… then, where have you been?"

Odd eyes flitted toward Murdoc, chest tight until the eldest shook his head once. "Promised you that I wouldn't tell… so it's up to you, kid."

As Ace came down from the panic that had flooded into his system, his survival brain kicked in. His right hand rubbed the back of his neck for a moment, looking down with a sigh. "It isn't easy to explain… but I guess I oughta go back one more time. I left a few things behind… but it'd be difficult to bring all of you."

"Russ, Noods. You guys good to stay put till we get back?" Murdoc asked before Ace could protest. "We can have another talk about all this when everyone is more up to it."

Russel nodded. "We'll finish packing and call for the tour bus to meet us here by 3."

" _Hai_ , we can handle it." Noodle confirmed.

Surprising Stuart, as well as himself, Ace stood up and crossed to where his bag and boots had been left the night before. "We gotta make a few stops first. I'll explain later."

Ace wasn't making any moves to show that he was running away, which relieved Murdoc quite a bit. He wasn't sure where they were about to end up, but they would soon see.

It wasn't something that Ace had expected to do, but here he was.

He knew what needed to be done.

  
  


* * *

  
  


First Ace had stopped in the hotel shop to buy a piece of luggage: a heavy duty, black rolling suitcase, along with two bags of beef jerky. After that he popped into a small shop down the street, but the other two didn't go in with him so they had no clue what was added to the shopping bag in his hand.

The walk was rather quiet, with Ace leading the way around the downtown area he knew like the back of his hand. When they reached the right street, Ace stopped at the corner and looked around. Not a soul was heard around them for several blocks, so Ace ducked down at a corner of the black fence. Pulling it back, he peeked his head through first before crawling through and held it open for Murdoc and 2D to follow.

"Stay close," Ace said quietly. "The dogs are coming."

Just as 2D looked around and was about to question why they were at a place like this, barking was heard coming their way. A white pitbull and a large rottweiler; tongues lawling from their mouths at the sight of Ace.

"Sid, Rex, down." Ace commanded and the dogs then both sat just a few yards away. Once he pulled out one of the bags of beef jerky, they started barking loudly again but stopped when Ace moved his finger across his throat as a wordless instruction to stay quiet. "Good boys." The bag was torn open and they were each tossed a few pieces of food, which would keep them busy. "Now stay." The dogs finished their jerky so fast he wondered if they even tasted it, but sat obediently when Ace held up his hand. Nodding his head forward, the other two followed him past the dogs.

2D grasped onto one of Murdoc's hands, looking around a bit cautiously. "Ace… what is this place?"

Ace was quiet, not looking back. "You'll see."

The junkyard was mostly abandoned, so it was the part of the dump where Ace could get in without being seen. Since dogs couldn't talk, Sid and Rex were both easy to distract with food.

When they reached another fence, Ace scaled over it with cat-like skill before the other two followed. Hidden within the heart of the landfill was a decrepit looking shack; back in its hay day, it had been a small house that the man who owned the junkyard had lived in. Decades ago before Cityville expanded and then outgrew this landfill, only one man had owned and ran it. This landfill had yet to be cleared up and cleaned due to there not being enough space at the town's recycling plant, and was independently owned by two men.

The shack itself looked one small gust of wind away from collapsing, but before Murdoc could even say something along those lines, Ace had already approached the door. Pushing it open with his shoulder, Ace ducked down before he crawled inside, leaving the suitcase he had bought outside of the door.

"Watch your head, I gotta find the lantern." Ace said to them before standing up. Eyes scanned the room before finding the blue lantern, flicking it on and flooding the space with light.

The only indication that somebody lived there was the fact that there were a few photos and posters on the walls, including the cover from a D-Sides album. Against the wall furthest from the door laid an ancient wooden bed frame with a beat-up mattress covered with a pilling fleece sheet. An old wood crate sat beside the bedside, with an old tin coffee can atop of it. Ace's life savings, along with other various important things he didn't want to lose inside. A black garbage bag sat by the foot of the bed frame, filled with what little Ace had wanted to keep safe.

As 2D scanned his eyes around the room, a knot formed in his throat and his chest tightened. Landing on a polaroid, he took just one step toward that wall to take a better look at it. 2D grasped onto the rusted tack keeping the photo on the wall, pulling it out and grasping carefully in his hands.

Ace was young in this photo; probably not much older than 11. He looked very much the same as he did now, just younger. Black hair at just his shoulders, face a bit rounder and babyish, but still looking rather skinny. Three figures laid in the grass beneath a tree; Ace in the middle, Snake on the left, and Buttercup on the right. Their eyes were all closed, indicating they had fallen asleep before the photo was taken.

Snake's black hair had reached the middle of their back at that point, which was evident against the greenness of the grass. They wore orange, flowy basketball shorts and a white tank top trimmed in black with the number 9 on it. Their head laid against Ace's right shoulder, and Buttercup laid against his left one. Her hair was just down to her ears, which were pierced and adorned with peridot studs. She was dressed in a light green shirt and matching shorts, with scrapes on her knees and legs from their long day of playing in the park.

The caption on the bottom of the polaroid was written by Snake's distinctively elegant handwriting, **_"The 3 Musketeers, Summer '07."_ **

As Ace busied himself across the shack, pulling things out from the garbage bag he opened up, the two older men took in the sight of the abandoned structure done up similar to a teenager's bedroom.

The pictures and posters said all that Ace couldn't: he was alone.

2D took down every photo he came across, looking at each of them, and in particular he observed the group shot of Ace and all of his friends. He stood front and center with the confident grin of a ten year-old, eyes peeking out from behind his sunglasses, and the caption written by Snake read, **_"The Gangreen Gang, Spring '06."_ **

The final photo that the singer took down from the wall was dated fall of 2007, with Ace seen playing his bass out in front of a different shack that was surrounded by junk. It didn't look long after Bassey had originally been fixed up. The caption on this one answered the question looming in Stuart's head: what was this place?

**_"We Are The Happy Landfill."_ **

_"You…"_ was the word Stu mumbled out. His ears were burning and red, and there were suddenly tears welling up in his eyes. _"… How long have you been here?…"_

"Four years last month."

While the blue-haired man's head spun with this new information, it was Murdoc's turn to speak up. "Fucking hell, kid… I thought you had at least been staying at a shelter. When Rick told me, I… I assumed…"

Murdoc Fucking Niccals found himself at a loss for words.

"It's better than the gutter." Ace shrugged slightly, as if trying to help convince himself. "Besides… it's not the first landfill I found a place to crash in. The gang and I… we used to have a clubhouse back in the Townsville dump. I stayed there a lot before I left town… I never really felt at home anywhere else."

When 2D spoke up, tears wavered his voice and his lips trembled over what teeth he did have. _"Ace… what happened? Why did you run away?…"_ Ace's shoulders weren't slumped, but the boy didn't move from his spot, or even respond. _"Do you… do you even have parents?…"_

Something that Murdoc hadn't even considered himself. Suddenly he found himself waiting for Ace's reply with bated breath, teeth lightly biting his lower lip.

"I never had parents… I was never really wanted…" Ace sighed slightly. "They were drug addicts."

Murdoc exhaled through his nose. He understood all too well. _"That shit'll really fuck you up…"_

"The Professor man… he knew?" 2D asked.

"They didn't know everything… but they knew enough." Ace stood up, holding clothes in his arms and threw them on the makeshift bed for now. "Sara… she's a child psychologist. She pulled it out of me one day when I showed up with a black eye and a cigarette burn… they wanted to take me to the hospital. I knew if they took me there… social services would be called. If I wasn't taken away, then… I would have been punished again."

The way Ace rubbed over his upper arm where his tattoo was made Murdoc connect the dots. It wasn't just a tattoo, it was something to cover a bad memory. His fingers traced over the red octopus on his right forearm; faded with age, but originally covered a scar he had received from his brother. The octopus was better than the constant reminder of a scar. Murdoc was lucky, and the scar beneath his octopus had healed well and eventually began to fade away. It was no longer very noticeable, but with the octopus being so faded with age he did also plan to have it professionally touched up. He wanted it to look nice again and breathe life back into it.

"We called the old clubhouse Happy Landfill after we first discovered Gorillaz. The first CD I ever owned was a used copy of the D-Sides. Every time MTV played Feel Good Inc. … every time Clint Eastwood came on the radio, or every time we huddled up in the clubhouse listening to an old radio or CD player, we felt connected. At peace. We had always loved music and singing and performing… every time we passed by the music store, I would pick up any bass they would let me. Ever owning one for real was a total pipe dream… until Snake heard the manager tell him something important. If a used instrument was not sold within a year of being on display, it was to be thrown away. And he said the old bastard winked at him, cuz he had asked when my birthday was that year. I never realized until now… he threw out Bassey just for me. He was the second adult who ever gave me a chance to put my talent to use… Miss Keane was the first."

Ace walked to the crate by the bedside, picking up the old tin coffee can. The lid popped off with ease like a muscle memory, being dropped to the floor as a photo was taken out.

Ace's first day of kindergarten, a photo taken by the polaroid camera that had once belonged to Buttercup Utonium. It was of Ace, the triplets, and Miss Keane.

The caption had been written by Doctor Sara Bellum.

**_"The girls made a new friend on their first day at Pokey Oaks Kindergarten!_ ** **♤** **_"_ **

"I was so stupid… I was so scared… and the way things had been with my friends at that point, I thought that they wouldn't even realize I was gone. Or even care." Ace put the photo back in the can for now and set it down. "I'm just a stupid kid. I really have no fucking clue, do I?"

"Nobody ever truly does." Murdoc muttered. "You're also smart. Much more than you realize. You flew under the radar for a few years… till Rick discovered you." He stepped forward and placed a hand on Ace's shoulder. "But just because you didn't know you were missed, that doesn't mean you're stupid. We all make mistakes, a lot of us make them when we're young. I made plenty while I was way younger than seventeen, and even more beyond that. And hey, at least you're owning up to it, you're not making excuses for yourself."

Ace picked his head up, but didn't look at either of them.

"He's right, Ace."

Stuart placed his hand on Ace's free shoulder – and Ace hadn't even noticed when the other man had approached them. The singer held the boy's polaroids against his chest with his other hand, not wanting to drop or damage them since they were important to Ace.

"And you don't need to hide anymore. No matter what, you will _always_ have a home with us." Stuart's voice didn't show a hint of deceit, and Ace was beginning to think that it simply wasn't in the musician's nature to lie or harm with intent. "You are a part of this band, and a part of our family now. We will never let you down."

Murdoc grunted and nodded. "Now Stu's right. And thank you for trusting us enough to let us know this. Would it be alright if Russel and Noodle know as well?"

Ace slowly exhaled but he nodded. "I guess I can't run away anymore…"

Stuart shook his head. "It's not just that you can't, you don't want to run anymore." Ace suddenly locked his wide eyes with the pale Brit's, a hint of tears forming in the boy's eyes. Stuart immediately understood and carefully set the polaroids down on the makeshift bed. The bass player was then wrapped in a warm, secure embrace from the blue-haired singer. Ace clung tightly to him in return, sniffling softly and giving a faint nod against the man's shoulder. Feeling so very trusting, safe and secure after feeling the most vulnerable that he has ever been. Stu was assuring and soothing, helping to melt his fears away. This man was nothing short of an angel.

With everything now out in the open, Ace felt freer. Once the remainder of his belongings had been collected, they were packed away into the suitcase. There wasn't much worth taking, but what had been was important enough. Every makeshift poster and every photo, along with whatever clothes he had that weren't falling apart.

Once everything worth taking had been packed, Ace grabbed the lantern and led the way back out. With the sun brighter outside of the old shack, the light of the lantern was no longer needed so it was shut off. Ace placed it in the suitcase with the rest of his belongings before taking a look around.

_"Mreow?"_

A black cat appeared from practically nowhere, purring and rubbing up against Ace's legs with affection and familiarity.

"Lucky… where you been, boy?" Ace knelt down and the cat climbed right onto him, settling himself on the teenager's shoulders. "You're a sight for sore eyes… I haven't seen you in a week." Said feline continued to purr, rubbing his head against Ace's cheek. "I almost thought I'd have to leave town without you."

Stuart made a small giggle and held out his hand toward the cat. "Friend of yours?"

"Sure is." Ace nodded as Lucky sniffed the keyboardist's fingers before brushing his face against them affectionately. "Crossed my path on Friday the 13th back in December. Always thought that day was superstitious bullshit anyways."

Lucky hopped right into Stu's arms next, purring and nuzzling against his chest. The result was immediate: Stuart had to keep from his knees buckling from the way he visibly melted. "You are just too sweet! Mudsy I'm in love all over again~"

Murdoc snorted at the sight of his singer and lover fawning over the slightly scrawny cat. "And kitty makes 6, I guess." he said with a chuckle. "Even I can't see Russ saying no to this fella, hehehe."

"You sure it's not a problem?" Ace asked.

  
  


* * *

  
  


"Ohhh, look at the kitty!"

It was not a problem.

Russel held the black cat in one of his arms and pet him with his other hand, and Lucky was all too happy to accept the attention. Even more so when Noodle began scratching behind his ears.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a kitty, Ace?" Noodle asked.

"Well, he's sort of a stray I've been looking after. But I didn't wanna leave without him, so I guess he's my cat now."

Russel let the cat climb up on his shoulder, and Lucky was content to perch himself up on such a broad shoulder. His mismatched eyes glimmered in the sunlight, the right one blue and the left one green. "Think he's up to a bath before we hit the road?"

"I seen him run through rain puddles and mud before, so I'd say he'll be fine with a bath."

Ace went up to the room on his own while Murdoc and Russel handled their oncoming checkouts. While the band ordered lunch, Stuart realized that Ace hadn't eaten yet. So he ordered something that he would bring up to the boy before they needed to finish packing.

Lucky purred in the warm shallow water of the tub while Ace gave him a good scrubbing. And down in the dining room, Murdoc told Russel and Noodle that Ace had been homeless. Neither of them had quite expected that, but they promised not to pry if Ace wasn't receptive to talking about it.

The boy was all too happy to focus on his furry friend, wrapping him up in a cozy towel and continuing to dry him off once he carried him back into the bedroom. Ace settled down on the bed with him, smoothing out Lucky's fur as it further dried. The cat crawled right into his lap, and Ace smiled. "You're a good boy, Lucky… I was worried when I didn't see you for so long. But I guess neither of us gotta worry about that anymore, eh? We're in this together, bud…"

Ace reached for his shopping bag, pulling out a can of tuna and a collar. The collar was white with a silver bell and a black spade-shaped tag to put on it. The cat didn't protest at all when Ace placed it around his neck; he even seemed to want to show off his new accessory, though his attention was suddenly elsewhere when he caught sight of the tuna can.

By the time the rest of the band returned, Ace had set the bowl of tuna down on the floor in the sitting room. Lucky was eating and purring happily, and Ace had been sorting through the things in his bag to put into his suitcase. His clothes had also been changed after going to the landfill and giving the cat a bath.

"Hey Acey, you hungry?"

The teenager had been so focused on a song he could hear in his head that he hadn't even noticed when the others returned. As soon as he registered the Brit's voice Ace snapped out of it just in time to see Stu squatting down beside him. The other offered a smile, a can of grape juice, and a styrofoam container towards Ace.

"I realized you didn't eat before we left earlier, figured you'd be hungry. Medium rare's how you like your cheeseburgers, right?"

The gesture didn't go unappreciated at all by the lithe boy, who set down what he'd been holding. "Yeah, that's right. Thanks 'D." he said with a smile.

"Don't mention it." Stuart stood back up and set the boy's lunch on the coffee table.

Just as Ace rose to his feet to sit at the couch, Murdoc grabbed Stuart by the arm before the could sit down himself. "Nuh-uh. We're going to go finish packing, _properly_ this time. I don't want your clothes exploding everywhere next time you open your luggage for a clean shirt."

Stuart groaned but sighed, following Murdoc back towards the bedroom. _"Fiiiine…"_

Russel shook his head and chuckled, pouring a coffee for himself. "Sometimes I wonder how 'D even gets dressed in the morning…"

Lucky stretched himself out before curling up to take a nap on Ace's mostly empty messenger bag, purring and taking in the familiar and comforting scent from it. "I think someone is already settled into the role of house cat." Noodle giggled softly at the sight, brushing a bit of blackish-violet hair behind her ear before taking a seat on one of the chairs. "Does he have a name yet?"

Ace popped open the juice can, giving a nod. "Lucky. He's got that polydactyl thing that gives cats extra toes, and I guess they're supposed to be good luck if they have them." He then shrugged. "I'm not all that creative when it comes to names, I guess… kinda thought it'd be cool cuz I found him on Friday the 13th."

"If it were up to Muds he'd have a name like Pussy or something." Russel snorted. "A lucky black cat, that's a lot better."

When Russel turned around, Ace could see the look in his eyes. Sighing, he decided to bite the bullet. "How much did 'Doc tell ya?" he muttered before popping a few fries into his mouth.

The drummer rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, holding his coffee mug in the other. "That obvious?"

"A nun dumping holy water on my head a year ago was less subtle." Ace said with a roll of his eyes. "It's out in the open already, what else do you wanna know?"

"… Honestly? I'm a little impressed." Russel said after a beat of silence. "You ran away at 13, and you been livin' in a junkyard?"

"It's not like I spent a lot of time there." Ace talked between bites and chewing, having been more hungry than he realized. It was a survival skill of his to suppress his hunger when he woke up. He was used to functioning for hours without eating. "Just to sleep, or to be alone."

"Shit, man. What did you do for money?"

"Collected cans and bottles, took odd jobs, played music in the park before the cops or some old lady could bitch at me." Ace replied. "Found lost animals and stuff, but I didn't take the reward money all the time. Then I started going to karaoke and open mic nights anywhere I could, just to have fun. Then I started getting asked to come back, people would leave me tips or buy me a sandwich or a drink or something. So long as I didn't sneak any alcohol, I could fly under the radar and just act like any other kid."

Noodle hummed softly, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "You were only 13… how did you do it all on your own?"

"I've been taking care of myself ever since I was a little kid." Ace shrugged. "I just started doing it somewhere else… I didn't think that I would be missed. Guess I was wrong…"

Russel exhaled through his nose, taking a drink from his mug. "Y'know… that Professor Utonium, the way he talked about you on the phone, he sounded like he could'a been your dad."

"I used to wish he was." Ace's eyes were focused on his food, even if he wasn't eating at that moment. "And I guess if I had to have a dad, I'd want it to be him. Him and Sara and Miss Keane… none of them thought I was a stupid kid or a bad kid. They probably do now, though."

"What makes you say that?" Noodle questioned. "Just because you ran away? Ace, I don't know why you ran away, but it sounds like you were afraid."

"I was. As far as I knew, I was gonna end up in foster care. A 13 year-old kid thrown in at that age? I probably wouldn't have smelled real air or freedom ever again." Ace's slightly greasy fingers fiddled together nervously.

"You were afraid. I get it, man. Ya don't always think clearly when you're afraid." Russel responded.

"But what's done is done." Noodle spoke up now. "There's no sense dwelling on it any longer, right?"

Ace slowly breathed out and picked up his burger again, distracting himself by taking another bite.

"You are harder to train than a dog with ADHD, Stu."

Murdoc was rubbing tiredly at his eyes when he followed the blue-haired Brit out of the bedroom, dragging their bags along with them.

"Can dogs have ADHD? I had no clue!" was the singer's dopey reply.

Noodle tutted and shook her head at the two men, arms crossed. "You two _always_ leave packing till the last minute…"

"In my defense, we took a trip to the junkyard." Murdoc quipped.

Ace snickered. "That's my excuse, 'Doc. Had to go there to get _my_ stuff after all, so try again." He smirked at the man in triumph when their eyes met, which Ace broke a moment later so he could take another bite.

"I think he's got you there, Muds." Russel chuckled.

About twenty minutes later, Russel got the text from their tour bus driver, and they brought down their luggage while Ace and Stu stayed behind to finish a bit more sorting. Lucky was a little unhappy about being woken up from his nap, but Ace needed his bag and they had to head down. With the remnants of his life packed into a suitcase, Ace and Stuart soon joined the others down in the lobby. Russel and Noodle were browsing the shop for a few snacks and drinks while Murdoc handled their checkout at the front desk. When Stuart went to ask if his lover needed anything they were waved off, so the other two joined Russel and Noodle in the shop. Lucky had made himself comfortable on the singer's shoulders since Ace's hands were full.

The driver took Ace's suitcase and bass case, which the boy thanked him for politely. Just as he went to meet up with the other three, a blur of red passed his eyes and suddenly he fell over, a hand going up to his head out of instinct and rubbed for a moment.

"Whoops! I'm so sorry…" that bubbly voice spoke, and before Ace even looked up he knew it was the waitress he met the day before. "Oh! I remember you!" Her smile met Ace as he pushed himself up from the carpet. "You alright, young man?"

Ace nodded slightly before he answered. "Y-yeah, I'm fine, thanks…" Lizzy held out her hand and helped him back up onto his feet. "Sorry about that…"

"Don't be, I'm a bit of a klutz when I'm not paying attention." Lizzy responded. "I actually didn't realize who you and your friends were yesterday… my fiancée is a big fan of the band. She had the concert on last night, and when I saw you she almost didn't believe me. You're very talented, and your singing is… angelic."

Ace blushed quite a bit, but he found himself returning Lizzy's smile. "T-that's so sweet of you to say. Thank you." he replied. "I don't know how many people were watching last night, but… I guess a lot?"

Lizzy giggled softly. "Probably. But Georgette and I really enjoyed it, especially since we couldn't get tickets in time. She's never been able to see a live concert before."

Ace's eyes brightened up and he smiled. "Why don't I get you two tickets to another show? I don't know the rest of the tour schedule yet, but it'd be my pleasure."

"That's so generous of you… oh my gosh, this is perfect!" Lizzy squealed with excitement and clapped her hands together, to which Ace noticed her engagement ring was gone again. "It's her birthday soon, and I keep wracking my brain for some way to surprise her."

"Uh, did you lose your ring again?"

"Actually no, I managed to drop it off to be resized yesterday. But thanks!… Oh, I should probably get out of your hair." She blushed a little herself, but reached into her purse and took out a card. "Here, my cell and email are on here."

It suddenly dawned on Ace that he didn't have a phone, but it didn't show on his face. "Thanks, I promise I'll call once I figure out when I can get the tickets."

"Thank you so much, this means a lot." Lizzy smiled warmly. "Ah, I'm sorry, I'm blanking on your name…"

"Ace Copular." the teen answered, a swell of confident flair coming off of him.

"It was wonderful to meet you, Ace. I look forward to seeing the band live some day." Lizzy stepped forward and didn't hesitate to give him a friendly hug like she had the day before. "Good luck with the band. Someone as talented and as nice as you can really go the distance."

Ace gave another little smile and another genuine blush crossed his cheeks. "Thanks, that really means a lot… er, sorry, now I'm drawing a blank…"

She giggled slightly and pulled away. "That's okay. I prefer Elizabeth, but most people call me Lizzy." the young red-haired woman responded. "Well then, till we meet again."

Lizzy gave a friendly wave before she turned and headed towards the doors.

When Ace finally slipped into the shop, he blinked at the sight of 2D talking enthusiastically about candy with Noodle. And how much more awesome candy was in Japan cuz they had way more flavors. As soon as he noticed Ace, he drew him in and started asking him what kinds of candy he liked. _"Welcome to the band."_ Noodle whispered to the teen with a giggle.

  
  


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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! ♤


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